Step Up for Irish Guide Dogs

What to Expect

Step Up for Irish Guide Dogs is a social dance night at the Connacht Hotel on the Old Dublin Road, run by the Galway branch of Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind. It starts at 8:30 PM on Saturday 12 September 2026 and combines jive and line dancing, led on the night by dance instructor Niall Doorhy.

The event is pitched at all levels rather than at experienced dancers, so the instruction covers the basics before the floor fills. That makes it workable for people who have never jived and for couples who go dancing every week. Proceeds support Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind, which trains guide dogs for people who are blind or vision impaired and assistance dogs for children with autism, and which relies almost entirely on fundraising rather than state funding. Branch events like this one are the backbone of that income in the west. Free parking is available at the hotel, which makes it straightforward for people travelling in from around the county.

Good to Know

• Date and time: Saturday 12 September 2026, from 8:30 PM.
• Venue: The Connacht Hotel, Old Dublin Road, Galway.
• Jive and line dancing led by instructor Niall Doorhy, suitable for all levels.
• Free parking at the venue.
• Ticket price was not published at the time of writing. Check the Eventbrite listing.
• Refunds are available up to seven days before the event.
• Organised by the Galway branch of Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind.

Getting There

The Connacht Hotel sits on the Old Dublin Road on the eastern approach to Galway city, close to the Martin Roundabout and a few minutes from the N6 and the M6 motorway. Anyone driving from Athlone, Ballinasloe, Loughrea or Oranmore reaches it before hitting city-centre traffic, which is part of its appeal for county-wide events. There is free on-site parking. From the city centre it is about a fifteen minute walk or a short taxi ride from Eyre Square, and city bus routes running east along the Dublin Road stop nearby. Ceannt Station is the arrival point for rail and intercity coach passengers.