Portlaoise Comhaltas and the Buggy School of Dancing gathered for a great night of trad and dance at Kavanagh's pub.

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Portlaoise Comhaltas are teaming up with the Buggy School of Dancing to travel to Williamson County in Tennessee this St Patrick's Day.

Portlaoise is one of nine Comhaltas branches catering for young and old who wish to learn and enjoy traditional music. The branch says that partnering with the Buggy school of Irish dancing in recent years, it has come to prominence at national level building on decades of voluntary effort by enthusiasts proving the seanfhocal.

The group will travel to Nashville and Bellmont University, through a sister county project between Williamson County and Laois County Council. 

The Laois cohort are aiming to raise costs to support the travel fares.

Portlaoise Comhaltas branch PRO, Mr PJ Phelan, thanked those who have donated for their generosity.

"We were delighted to receive funding from local councillors, and donations from businesses around Portlaoise," Mr Phelan told the Leinster Express / Laois Live.

"It has been great to have the backing of the community on this venture, with local businesses holding raffles and donating money. Family and friends have also been so giving, it has been brilliant and we are very thankful," he said.

Eleven comhaltas members and dancers will travel with Mr Phelan and Ms Shirley Cahill for the trip on March 8.

"We will perfom at Bellmont University for a collaboration with their musicians, and we will be doing some workshops with fantastic bluegrass bands over there. The university has a dancing school we are very excited to link up with, and we will partake in their St Patrick's Day parade on March 14," Mr Phelan finished.

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Those who wish to support the group's fundraiser can do so by contacting Portlaoise Comhaltas branch.