A photo shared by An Garda Siochana of Birr native Lucie Pardy being congratulated by officers on her return home last night from her win at the Irish dancing world championships in Canada.

Birr's world champion dancer welcomed home by local Gardai!

Adrian Cusack

Published: Fri 7 Apr 2023, 1:48 PM

Last updated: Fri 7 Apr 2023, 1:49 PM

Birr secondary school student Lucie Pardy was given a warm welcome home by local Gardai as she returned this week from Canada where she was crowned as the U13 world champion in Irish dancing.

Lucie's fantastic achievement took place at the Coimisiún Le Rincí Gaelacha World Irish Dancing Championships in Montreal on Monday night.

It followed on from her success in being crowned as an All Ireland Irish dancing champion in February.

A post on the Garda Síochána Laois Offaly Facebook page this morning explained that officers Dylan Hogan and Catty Burke were out conducting a proactive checkpoint last night when they encountered the new local world champion and her family on their way home.

"A massive well done to Lucie on her outstanding achievement from Garda Hogan and Burke and all of the Gardaí in the Laois/Offaly Garda Division," the post stated.

Lucie Pardy became an Irish dancing world champion in Montreal on Monday night. (Photo: St. Brendan's Community School on Facebook).

Congratulatory messages for Lucie have also been posted online by St Brendan's Community School in Birr, where she is a first year student.

Birr Town football club also extended its best wishes to Lucie on her success, saying she was a member of its girls' league-winning U12 team last year.