When I lived in Aberfoyle (West Perthshire) in the late '60s, the local branch of An Comunn Gàidhealach ran monthly events that were distinctly titled as a "Ceilidh and Dance".

The ceilidh part ran from about 8.00pm to 10.00pm in a side-room or foyer of the local hotel and consisted of a small concert-type sequence of songs and music from various performers, usually three songs each, unless there was a Mod medallist (competition winner) in the company, when more might be hoped for. All performers were paid for their efforts, some medallists could command significant fees.

At 10.00pm (end of licencing hours in those days) the audience would magically double from fifty or so to a hundred, and proceedings would move into the adjacent ballroom, where a visiting band (accordion/s, fiddle/s, piano, drums, sometimes banjo) would play for dances for the next couple of hours, always finishing by midnight. Everybody knew all the dances and most took part (the ones that didn't would just be there to have a gossip, appreciate the atmosphere and take advantage of the extended bar-licence in the ballroom).

Found all kinds of "ceilidh"s (and spellings!) since living in England and travelling about the world. I wouldn't worry too much about "what is a ceilidh?" - just enjoy them where you find them.

Ross

Ross