Cambridge

AJ Rooney (Lead Vocalist) is a British singer, performer, and writer whose work spans musical theatre, live entertainment, and international touring productions. Raised in Warrington, England, AJ discovered his passion for performing at a young age through theatre productions, barbershop harmony, and local karaoke competitions, laying the foundation for a career rooted in storytelling, audience connection, and the thrill of the stage.

AJ’s recent theatre credits include leading roles as Joe Hardy in the musical Damn Yankees, Garry Lejeune in the acclaimed comedy Noises Off, and reprising the iconic role of Dr. Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Show for a second consecutive year.

In addition to performing, AJ is currently developing original musical theatre projects focused on contemporary, character-led narratives, while also writing and recording original folk and country music. Connect with AJ at theajrooney.com and follow his journey on Instagram at @theajrooney.

Originally from Dromore country Tyrone, Barry Teague began Irish dancing at just four years old in Omagh with the Baxter School. He competed under the Baxter School for 18 years, building an outstanding competitive career that included winning the Ulster Championships 7 times and the An Chomhdháil World Championships six times. Alongside dancing, Barry also proudly played GAA for both his club and school teams.

Professionally, Barry has performed with Raglan Road Irish Pub & Restaurant at Disney Springs, toured Taiwan with Lord of the Dance, Feet of Flames , and performed in the Celtic Angels national tour. As a performer, he loves meeting new people from all around the world, travelling to see new places, and learning from the many incredible dancers he has worked alongside throughout his career.

Caitlin Ward is a dancer from Manchester, UK who has been dancing since the age of 4. Training under the Marie Connell School she’s achieved top 5 at the World Championships and All Ireland Championships, top 3 at the Great Britain’s and an All Scotland Champion. 

Alongside her competitive career, Caitlin has gained international success as a professional dancer touring with A Celtic Christmas by A Taste of Ireland in the USA, Lord of the dance feet of flames in Taiwan And A Taste of Ireland in the USA and Canada. She’s thrilled to bring her passion for Irish dance to audiences internationally

Callum O’Neill is a champion Irish dancer from Birmingham, England. He began dancing at the age of seven with the renowned Carey Academy of Irish Dance, where he discovered a love for performance and a drive for excellence.

Throughout his competitive career, Callum achieved extraordinary success, becoming a World Champion, North American National Champion, Great Britain Champion, British National Champion, and All Scotlands Champion—a rare collection of titles that firmly places him among the top dancers in the world.

He has also performed internationally with the iconic show Riverdance, touring as part of its 25th Anniversary Production, and now continues to share his passion on stage with A Taste of Ireland, bringing world-class Irish dance to audiences across the globe.

At 26 years old and originally from Cork, Ireland, Cian Walsh began dancing with his parents’ school, the Kiely Walsh Academy. He first joined the company for its 2022 Christmas tour in New Zealand and has since gone on to perform internationally, including appearances in London’s West End and Off-Broadway in New York. Having toured across many countries, Cian is excited for the experiences and opportunities still to come.

Emily Grace lives in New York and began dancing at the age of 6. She dances for the Denogla Academy and has successfully competed for the last 18 years. Throughout her competitive career, Emily achieved top 3 at the Worlds, All Irelands, and Great Britain’s, as well as winning the North American Nationals and the Mid Atlantic Regional Oireachtas. Emily has been doing tours with A Taste of Ireland company for the last two years and recently travelled to Taiwan to perform with Lord of the Dance.

In addition to dancing, Emily graduated from Manhattan College with a degree in exercise science, and hopes to one day become a physical therapist. Emily loves nothing more than dancing and performing, and is very excited to continue to tour and improve!

Enda Keane is an Irish-born dancer based in Canada who brings a deep-rooted passion for rhythm and performance to the stage. After beginning his training at a young age, Enda had the privilege of honing his skills under the guidance of Butler Fearon O’Connor and the Michaela Hinds Academy, eventually earning top placements on the international competitive circuit. He has since loved transitioning into professional performance, enjoying every opportunity to bring his strong technique and dedication to the stage. On stage, Enda focuses on bringing high energy, crisp rhyt

Jessica Miller began her Irish dancing career at the age of three, inspired by her uncle, Steven Brunning, an original lead dancer in Michael Flatley’s Lord of the Dance. This early introduction sparked a lifelong commitment to the art form, leading to an elite competitive career that spanned seventeen years.

Training under the Inis Cara and Glendarragh schools, Jessica achieved international distinction, with her competitive career culminating in a second-place finish at the World Irish Dancing Championships in Montreal, Canada. Following her retirement from the competitive circuit, she pursued a degree in Sport Rehabilitation from the University of Nottingham, with long-term professional aspirations in physical therapy.

In 2023, Jessica transitioned into professional performance, making her debut in Lord of the Dance: Feet of Flames in Taiwan, before touring the Netherlands with Celtic Steps The Show. She is thrilled to bring her technical expertise and passion for performance to the stage with A Taste of Ireland on its upcoming tours across the United States.

Julia O’Rourke, from Malverne, New York, began Irish dancing at the age of five at The Petri School of Irish Dancing (now the Doherty-Petri School). Her early journey was featured in the internationally released documentary Jig, which brought global attention to her remarkable talent and dedication. Over her career, Julia has achieved extraordinary success as a four-time World Champion, two-time All-Ireland Champion, six-time North American National Champion, and multiple Great Britain and Mid-Atlantic Regional title holder.

Since transitioning into professional performance, Julia has continued to make her mark as a lead dancer with A Taste of Ireland, performing to sold-out theatres across the United States and internationally.

Liam Fitzgerald began his dance training at the age of 3, learning Irish dancing at the Halloran School of Dance and also learning Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Hip-Hop, Contemporary, and Musical Theatre at Sonja Dene Dance Studios. 

Liam has had a successful competitive Irish dance career, becoming a multiple-time NSW State Champion and Australian National Champion, and competing internationally at the World Irish Dancing Championships and the North American Irish Dancing Championships where he has placed in the Top 5.

Liam has performed with Pace Live in ‘A Taste of Ireland’, ‘A Celtic Christmas’, and ‘Éireann’ including on the West End and Off-Broadway. He has also performed with ‘Eireborne’, Wayne Scott Kermond’s ‘Candyman’, Repgrom’s ‘12 Days of Christmas’, Carnival Cruise line in the Caribbean, Disneyworld in Florida, at the MLB, and in numerous productions with OP Productions. 

Madison “Mattie” Pennington started Irish dancing when she was 4 years old, and developed a lifelong passion for the art form. Under the Rince Na Tiarna School of Irish dance in Buffalo, New York, she has 15 years of competitive training in Irish dance. Mattie has earned multiple Top 5 finishes at both the  regional level and North American championships, while also achieving placements internationally at the World Championships. 

Mattie began her professional career in Fall 2025, where she performed her first show with “A Taste of Ireland.” She is thrilled to be a part of the company, touring North America and joining them for their first Canadian tour in 2026. No matter the stage or country, Mattie finds the greatest joy in sharing her passion for Irish dance and performing for audiences around the world.

Minnie Yarnold is a professional Irish dancer currently touring with A Taste of Ireland. Having established herself as a distinguished competitor at the highest level of Irish dance, she earned recognition as a World Medallist and achieved a top-15 placing at the CLRG World Championships. Minnie is also a multiple World Champion in both ceili and figure dancing.

In addition to her competitive accomplishments, Minnie holds a BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma, graduating with triple A* grades in a variety of fields of dance. She is proud to bring the discipline and experience gained through years of elite competition to the stage.

Mitchell O’Hara was born in New Zealand and spent his early childhood in Wicklow, Ireland, where he began Irish dancing at a young age and quickly developed a deep passion for the art form. Proud of his Irish heritage, he has dedicated himself to honoring the tradition of Irish dance while helping shape its modern evolution.

Throughout his competitive career, Mitchell became an eight-time national champion, earned multiple Australian International Oireachtas titles, and achieved Top 10 placements at the World Championships. In August 2025, he made his West End lead debut with Éireann, marking a major milestone in his professional career.

He has since taken his passion to the professional stage, performing as a principal dancer with A Taste of Ireland across Australia, the United States, Europe, and the United Kingdom.

Sam Carey is a musician from Clifden in Connemara, County Galway. He started playing guitar at the age of nine and has been performing ever since.

Over the years, Sam has played on a number of international tours and has performed for audiences all over the world. One of the biggest highlights of his career was spending two years performing at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida.

He has also performed during the NFL game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Minnesota Vikings and was involved in the announcement for last year’s U.S. Open Golf Championship.

Sam is proud of his Connemara roots and continues to travel and perform, bringing his music to audiences at home and abroad.

Seaghan Schrock is a Sligo-trained Irish fiddle player based in New York City, currently studying under master fiddler Brian Conway.

She began performing at age six with her family’s band, Ragtaggle, and has since made featured appearances with prominent Irish bands, including Gaelic Storm. Outside of Irish music, she has also toured and performed with country artists such as Waylon Wyatt, Elizabeth Nichols, Hayden Blount, and Zandi Holup.

When not touring, she studies Economics and Political Science at Columbia University.

Ella Giammichele is a soloist with A Taste of Ireland. Since making her professional debut in A Celtic Christmas in 2021, she has performed in A Taste of Ireland, A Celtic Christmas, and TARA by A Taste of Ireland — and twice danced a lead role off-Broadway. She has also taken the lead on London’s West End in Éireann, commanding one of the world’s great theatre stages.

That stage presence is built on a championship pedigree. Ella began Irish dancing at four with CMDance in Brisbane, Queensland, and over 17 years of competition has claimed four Queensland State Championship titles, a top-10 placement at Nationals, and multiple further championship wins, alongside appearances at the 2017 and 2023 World Championships.

Beyond performing, Ella mentors younger dancers and continues to train in ballet and contemporary.

Rochelle Hoffmann is a dancer from Kelowna, Canada with over 20 years of experience in Irish Dance. A World Medallist and 7-time Regional Champion, she has earned top 5 finishes at major international competitions, including the Great Britain Championships, North American Nationals, and Australian International Championships.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in Interior Design and has performed internationally throughout Australia, New Zealand, the USA, Canada, the UK, and Ireland, with highlights including performances on London’s West End and Off-Broadway in New York City. Passionate about performance and storytelling through movement, Rochelle is thrilled to continue sharing her love of dance with audiences around the world.

Brent Pace is the CEO and Producer of Pace Live and the creator of A Taste of Ireland.

Ceili Pace is Executive Producer of the A Taste of Ireland Company, overseeing the touring, marketing and international expansion of Pace Live’s portfolio of productions.

Before producing, Ceili spent a decade performing — Australian National, North American National, All Ireland, and World Champion in Irish dance, with credits in Riverdance and Lord of the Dance across more than 15 countries. Highlights include performing the lead role of Morrighan alongside Michael Flatley, dancing on the West End, and appearances on The Graham Norton Show and Good Morning America. She was an Ambassador for the Peter “Bullfrog” Moore Foundation, supporting young performers and athletes pursuing their own careers.

Today, Ceili leads the commercial and audience-facing side of the A Taste of Ireland Company — guiding A Taste of Ireland, A Celtic Christmas, Éireann and Tara across stages from Sydney to the West End to Off-Broadway and beyond. She works alongside her partner Brent Pace, Artistic Director, to bring the Company’s productions to new markets while holding the artistic standard that defines them.

Ceili is grateful to her family, friends and mentors for the support that brought her here — and to every audience that’s made the work possible.