Marie Duffy is one of the greatest ambassadors for the world of Irish Dance and Culture. A renowned teacher, adjudicator, examiner and choreographer of many years’ standing, she has brought, and continues to bring, a wealth of experience, integrity and personal commitment to all her work, both as a teacher and long-standing member of An Coimisiún Le Rincí Gaelacha.
In 2011, Marie and her husband Michael Pask established The Marie Duffy Foundation, to provide financial assistance to aspiring dancers, musicians and choreographers so they may fulfil their dreams in the world of Irish Dance. Irish Dance is constantly changing and evolving and it is the aim of the Foundation to identify and support the creative and inspirational individuals who will be at the cutting edge of dance excellence in the years ahead. Enabled and supported by Our Patron, Niamh Flatley, the Trustees and our Regional and Support Team, the Foundation offers grants and awards to these talented individuals to encourage and stimulate creativity and innovation and to help them on their journey through the ever-changing and evolving world of dance.
Awards are granted on an annual basis and applications are invited from individuals or groups of individuals who have a project that they would like assistance with, whether for performance or education.
Our awards fall into one of three broad categories:
- Irish Dancing – Education, Performance and Competitions
- Irish Music and Culture
- Financial Support to individuals
Initially, solely funded by Marie and Mike for the first five years, the Foundation made over £40,000 in awards. From 2017, the Foundation additionally needs to undertake fundraising activities to generate sufficient funds to allow us to continue making awards and grants. The Foundation, a non-profit making organization, is a UK registered Charity and operates as a registered private company.