'If it was up to me I’d have the Christmas tree up in November'

When Niamh Shevlin took to the stage at the Rose of Tralee International Festival, she made Donegal proud with a stunning dance as she talked of her love for home.

From Bomany, just outside of Letterkenny, Donegal Rose Niamh started the school year teaching in Glenfin before her feet - as they do - took her dancing. For Christmas, she and her twin brother and dancing partner Gavin will make a familiar journey home from Dublin airport, keeping an eye on the clock.

The Shevlin Twins are World Champion Irish Dancers, All-Star award winners, Irish culture ambassadors, and they will spend the days up to Christmas dancing their way from Ohio on the United States East Coast up as far as New York and then home to the hills of Glenswilly.

“I love landing at Dublin airport when all the decorations are up, the RTÉ cameras are sometimes there, and heading for Donegal,” Niamh says.

When they can, the family go to ‘Nanny Shevlins’ in Downings on Christmas Eve, where they used to count down the hours until Santa’s arrival, then stay home on Christmas Day.

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“Christmas can be one of the only times in the year when all four of us are under the same roof,” Niamh says of herself, Gavin and their parents, Mick and Geralyn.

The family appreciates one another’s company and this year will be poignant. Dressed in a stunning long red dress, Niamh dedicated her performance at the Rose of Tralee to her late aunt Alyssa Thompson, who passed away the day before New Year’s Eve last, aged 44. In August, Niamh attended the Rose Ball in the same dress Alyssa wore to her prom in 1996, which was made by Niamh’s grandmother, Bernadette Callan.

In early January 2016, Niamh lost another aunt too soon, Jacinta Gibson. It was the one Christmas she and Gavin hadn’t made it home as they were dancing in Malta. Their parents had joined them at St Julian’s and the family were together in a circus tent where the twins were performing before having to rush back home.

Despite all of that, the twins still possess a fondness for Christmas. The yarn about their pet dog Sally, who ate the neighbour’s turkey when it was left to cool on the windowsill gets mentioned most years, as does the year the snow was so thick they headed off to sleigh on Christmas morning.

The alarms aren’t as early as they were back then, though the day is still every bit as special. Christmas in Bomany sees the exchanging of gifts and then Geralyn fries breakfast before a Bailey’s, with the best of the television shows a must. This year’s must-watch is Gavin and Stacey’s Christmas Special, with Fairytale of New York as the song of choice. Then, it’s time for dinner. “Mum and Dad cook a lot of lovely vegetables, meats and sauces for dinner,” Niamh says. “While mum is the main cook in the house all year, dad is an excellent cook and loves contributing. My culinary skills wouldn’t be the best but maybe it’s time I learned.

“I will always stick to potatoes, ham, baked beans and gravy. I’m not a big turkey fan but I’ll always try a small piece on Christmas day. As for Brussels sprouts, it’s a no. I only eat vegetables the odd time - maybe I need to make a New Year’s Resolution to eat more!

“We play board games into the wee hours. It’s a very easy-going and relaxing day, no schedule or agenda. Just a lot of chilling out after the chaos of the build-up.”

In Tralee, Niamh paid tribute to Gavin, who she described as “the boy version of me” and “my best friend”. Together they have danced since the age of four, and travelled to over 50 countries on six different continents.
In 2018, she joined Michael Flatley’s Lord of the Dance and performed the female lead role of Saoirse for five years. She is now part of the Riverdance flying squad, meaning she can arrange her teaching and travel when the chance arrives.

“Our birthday is January 14 and we used to organise our birthday parties so the tree was still up,” Niamh adds. “Myself and Gavin traditionally have the Shevlin Twins’ Christmas night out. It’s a night when we head out to celebrate all we’ve achieved throughout the year.

“We started our dancing career as a duo and we’ve progressed to performing with the world’s biggest dance shows on some of the world’s most prestigious stages. We spend so much time together, but recently it’s often as part of a troupe or large group and we love getting the opportunity to celebrate the successes of the year when it’s just us.

“We often joked growing up that people treated us as one person. We would sometimes get one birthday card, one cake or one present. We still receive our presents in the same Santa sacks we’ve had since our very first Christmas. We like being known as two of a kind. Christmas hasn’t been a lucky time in our family in recent years so a lot of sadness and nostalgia comes with the Christmas period,” she says. “In saying that, it should be used as a day to remember those who are gone fondly and be grateful for the ones we have now. I still love Christmas, and If it was up to me I’d have the Christmas tree up in November!"