Note 6 — Chapter II

The Rinceadh-Fada, or Irish dance, is thus described by the late Mr. Cooper Walker: "When that unfortunate Prince, James II., landed at Kinsale, his friends who awaited his arrival on the sea shore received him with the Rinceadh-Fada, or Irish dance, the figure and execution of which delighted him exceedingly. This was the figure: Three persons abreast, each holding a corner of a white handkerchief, first moved forward a few paces to slow music; the rest of the dancers followed two and two, a white handkerchief held between each. Then the dance began, the music suddenly changing to brisk time; the dancers then passed with a quick step under the handkerchief of the three in front; they wheeled round in semi-circles, forming a variety of pleasing and animating evolutions, interspersed at intervals with entrè chants, or cuts; they then united, and fell back again in their original places behind, and paused. Perhaps the classical reader will find—and we think he may—a similarity between our Rinceadh-Fada and the festal dance of the Greeks."—Historical Memoirs of the Irish Bards, 4to., Dublin, 1786, pp. 151, 152, 154.

Mr. Walker adds in a note, "Before we adopted the French style of dancing, our public and private balls used always to conclude with the Rinceadh-Fada."