By Sue Wambolt, Contributing Writer
Shrewsbury – Keeley McInerney Zona 11, has been dancing since she learned how to walk. Her mother, Mary (“Mary Mac”), was the owner of the McInerney School of Irish Step Dance in Worcester and it was there that her young daughter learned to dance. Sadly, Mary Mac succumbed to breast cancer in 2009, leaving her daughter with a legacy and a passion for Irish Step Dance.
A fifth-grader at the Sherwood Middle School, Keeley has competed at National Championships since she was 7 years old. She competed in the Irish Dance 2011 New England Regional Oireachtas in the fall of 2011 and earned a spot in The Irish Dance World Championships to be held in Belfast, Ireland, in April. She also qualified to dance in the North American National Irish Dance Competition scheduled for July in Chicago. Keeley has achieved Open Champion level status, the highest level in competitive Irish Dance for her age.
In addition to her completing her schoolwork, Keeley practices dance three times a week for two hours each session. She competes and performs all year long.
“I love the feeling when I dance,” said Keeley, “especially when I perform in front of others. I also love being with all of my friends who I dance with.”
Keeley's father, Bob, a 40-year employee of the Shrewsbury Park and Recreation Department, passed away in November 2011, leaving Keeley and her brother, Dillon, 12, in the care of their aunt and uncle.
