Mr David Geaney holding his UL Alumni Award

Dingle native David Geaney, a five-time World Champion Irish Dancer, is taking the world by storm. After an illustrious competitive career, amassing countless major titles, David is now performing globally.

Known as The Dingle Dancer, he is regarded as one of Ireland’s leading entertainers, adapting with ease to different venues and audiences. Renowned for his ability to energise any crowd, his creativity, and attention to detail, David is one of the most sought-after entertainers on the scene.

Trusted to lead shows such as Celtic Steps The Show, Trad On The Prom, and Pulses of Tradition from the age of 16, David got a taste for the stage early on. He decided to set up his own show, Velocity, which debuted at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August 2017.

Alongside World Record Holder for the fastest feet, James Devine, the show received rave reviews, with some dubbing it “the best show we have ever seen at the fringe” and earning several five-star reviews from national press, including The Scotsman, which called it the “dance hour of the Fringe.”

In 2017, David was approached by Britain’s Got Talent, the world’s biggest talent show. Displaying his unique creativity, David’s performance incorporated LED technology and screen programming with holographic elements. His performance was widely applauded, with Simon Cowell acknowledging that he was “onto something” and calling him “an ideas man.”

After reaching the live semi-finals, just three days after his final year exams, David produced a spectacular performance in front of millions of viewers on live television. He now aims to take these “unfinished ideas” and bring them to life as he originally imagined.

David’s journey continued to Broadway, New York, where he debuted his show at The New Victory Theatre on 42nd Street, Times Square. The show was sold out for its entire run, receiving glorious reviews from several newspapers, including The New York Times, The New Yorker, and Playbill. The show was described as “a rock concert meets jam session meets epic choreographic feet,” featuring a live funk-pop-Celtic band and DJ.

With an amazing cast of Ireland’s top musicians and dancers, Velocity The Show was sold out for its entire run, bringing audiences from all over the world through the evolution of Irish music, dance, and culture. The show even attracted the attention of Robert De Niro.

After successful US tours in 2022 and Japan in 2023, David is now planning to bring his show back to the US and Canada in 2025, to brand new venues and cities. The stellar cast, featuring World Record Holder and social media sensation Tyler Schwartz, promises an amazing night’s entertainment.

David is the heart and soul of his family’s famous bar, The Dingle Pub, in Dingle, County Kerry. He dances with live musicians nightly, entertaining tourists from around the globe. National Geographic has stamped it as one of the top three things to see in Dingle. It is here that he established his strong connection with live music and audiences, freestyling and interacting with various kinds of crowds, establishing himself as more than just a dancer but a top-class performer.

David also works in the family pub, surprising tourists by taking the floor after answering their "when is the dancer” queries and serving them their delicious dinner just moments before. If you have not seen David in this raw and pure environment, you have not seen him at his absolute best.

David has also performed with major acts including The Chieftains, The Kilfenora Ceili Band, Aslan, and Sharon Shannon, who recently dubbed him “the present-day Fred Astaire” and “a national treasure.” He tours regularly with Joanie Madden and Cherish The Ladies on their US and Irish tours, including Joanie Madden’s world-famous “Folk’n Irish Cruises.”

With his talents well recognised, and with Riverdance and similar opportunities in the past, David decided to remain at home to finish his degree in Economics and Mathematical Sciences at University of Limerick, graduating in 2017.

With his degree in hand and an unyielding desire to produce spectacular material for audiences around the world, David is honoured to be receiving a UL Alumni award in November 2024 for his contribution to the arts.