Keepin 'Er Country True North

# Let's dance from the floor... Let me hear you sing along

# Driving through the quicksteps... #

In rural Northern Ireland, country music is the new clubbing.

The country night is as big, if not bigger, than the nightclub scene.

And if you're looking for love out in the sticks,

you can forget about Tinder.

If you want to eye up the local talent,

there's nowhere better than a country music gig.

Anything in the bag for later?

Well, I haven't shot yet, but when he shoots, he scores.

But for our would-be lovers,

attractiveness is only part of the package.

Girls, are yous out on the pull tonight?

We don't want a man holding us back from a good night's dancing, like.

If you're going to stand a chance of impressing the opposite sex...

-Hello, girls. We're boys.

-..you need a bit more about you.

-Being a farmer helps.

-I'd be more into my beef farmers.

Oh, and you'd better be able to jive.

Wouldn't matter if you're, like, Brad Pitt.

If you can't dance, you're no good.

We're following some hopefuls over an endless country summer

as they try and dance their way to romance.

These are the Northern Irish music lovers who are keepin' 'er country.

MUSIC: Knee Deep In My Heart by Shane Filan

20-year-old Enda works as a bus driver.

But come clocking off time, he has another driving passion.

Country music.

The country night is as big, if not bigger, than the nightclub scene.

Everybody's going to the country now

and everyone wants to learn the country.

Before, you'd be laughed at if you were jiving.

Now, you're kind of laughed at if you can't jive.

Having two left feet doesn't just leave you open to ridicule.

It can seriously diminish your chances

with the demanding ladies of the dance halls.

If you can't dance, the ladies don't want to know you, to be quite honest with you.

Wouldn't matter if you're, like, Brad Pitt.

If you can't dance, you're no good.

Enda can't dance yet, so his country nights out have more in common

with the cloakroom assistant than his jiving-mad friends.

So, he has set himself the goal

of going from absolute beginner to accomplished jiver

over the course of a single summer.

Men, if you're taking your ladies out for a jive,

lady's hands always sit on top of the man's hands, all right?

So, our first move is going to be...

One is where your hands finish.

Two, you bring your hand back. Three is back where one was.

-And then the lady's going to spin off solo...

-What?!

..so you have to let go of hands.

She's going to spin off to the right.

By the end of the lesson, you'll have enough for a jive at the weekend.

Every week, we're going to progress and add a few more moves every week.

Oh, I don't turn yet?

'When you see these boys maybe jiving with two girls, like,

'and I can't even jive one.'

Oh, I was meant to turn.

I'm never going to get this.

You will.

I wouldn't have the confidence to actually get up to dance.

And they would literally leave you standing on the dance floor.

So I wouldn't even bother until I'd learned how to dance.

Wrong hand.

Again. Just keep practising it.

I'd like to be able to just go up and ask anybody out to dance,

any girl out to dance, and be able to know the steps,

know all there is to know about the dancing.

Won't be a wheel like them in the country.

MUSIC: Stop The World And Let Me Off

In Fermanagh, the Breslin sisters might just be the kinds of girls

that Enda is dreaming of being able to ask to jive.

Regular faces on the circuit,

they know what to look for in a potential dancing partner.

Have you ever noticed whenever you're on a night out

and you see somebody that can dance,

you'll just be like, "Oh, God, I want him to dance with me."

There's normally a queue waiting on that.

There's one fella in particular and they do stand waiting on him.

If Enda wants to stand a chance of impressing girls like the Breslins,

he just has to keep working on his moves.

Oh, my God, if a boy can't dance, it's the worst thing ever.

-You just want rid of him.

-Oh, Jeez, you'll be running to the toilet!

If he can't dance, I'll always be like, "I'm wrecked.

"I can't dance any more."

"My feet are sore!"

They come along and I haven't a clue how to tell them I don't want to dance!

You know what I hate? When you wear sandals and they trample on your feet.

You can't wait to get rid of them.

You'll be like, "When's this song over?"

"I have to go and find my friend."

In contrast to his daughters, dad Tommy's preparation for a big

night out is a ham sandwich and a cup of tea.

Takes them an awful length of time to get ready.

In my days, you know, you'd get ready in a couple of seconds,

even ate - a couple of seconds, I'd be gone.

Young girls now, they'll be putting on that tan and make-up for hours.

Long ago, the ladies didn't put on that at all,

and it's funny even yet, I'd rather have a woman with none of that.

If they lean up against your shirt, they'd have you racked with

that tan and stuff on you - women would have none of that on them, you know?

Girls, he's out on the pull tonight.

We don't want a man holding us back from a good night's dancing, like.

If you get a man, it's always a bonus.

But you're not actually out looking for him.

If you get him, you get him, if you don't, you don't, is that it?

That's it.

I thought they would have been married long, long, long ago.

But there's no word of any of them getting married yet, and they're very fine looking girls -

not cos they're daughters of mine, but they're all good looking girls.

After the rigours of raising ten children,

Tommy is recently single, and he has thrown himself into country music

nights out, which always start in the kitchen.

LAUGHTER AND WHOOPING

Do you remember, he couldn't dance?

He had two left feet and he would trip over you!

But I think Daddy is a fierce wee dancer now,

burning wee holes in the floor! Flames coming out behind him.

You'd need to have a fire extinguisher beside you!

He's too busy looking for a woman.

THEY LAUGH

And there's no decent ones out there. You're not going to get them.

They're all gone!

WHOOPING

Simon and friend Eoin are dancers in demand on the country music

scene, so they're fuelling up for a weekend of jiving.

Eoin, you've got plenty there!

-I'll not go out there without eating them.

-That's just his first plate!

There's a whole bag of Dublin Queens out there.

We started the Dublin Queens this week, they're balls of flour.

Lovely. That's them there.

It's not everybody who gets excited about a spud.

Well, he likes a good spud.

On the jiving scene, appearance is everything.

And Simon's hectic dancing schedule has been causing problems.

The issues are when he's out three nights a week, there's about

12 shirts down there for washing and ironing for the following week.

And I just can't keep up with it.

So, now, I do the washing and he has to do his own ironing.

I'm actually going to try and get him to do all the ironing.

You know, that's the next step.

Because he's very, very good at it.

He doesn't realise how hard the make-up is to get off the shirts.

It has to be steeped, the one wash wouldn't do it.

Whenever you'd be dancing there,

her head might brush past your sleeve on your shirt

and the make-up would just wipe off on it,

then you might have your arm round somebody, or...

Different wee things,

there's different ways for make-up to get onto your shirt.

MUSIC VOLUME INCREASES

# In '65, I learned to jive In the borderland in Muff

# Friday night was show band night That's where I'd strut my stuff

# We all came out from Derry Each weekend after work

# Man, we all looked smashing We had hair and miniskirts... #

You're some dancer, Simon, you can fairly move! You don't need a lady to dance with.

He is a good jiver, he definitely is.

He's great music in him, great rhythm.

So, he definitely is that. I'd highly recommend him!

You need two people to dance, and if the girl can't dance, the boy can't dance,

and Mum was always a really good dancer, too.

I didn't have a good jive for about 25 years, until he started.

THEY LAUGH

My husband, he doesn't jive at all, there's no music in him.

You can't be good at everything!

# I told my dad No nine-to-five for me... #

It's a brave move, Simon, going for the pink shirt tonight.

-What's that saying?

-Pink makes the girls wink.

-It makes the girls wink.

It might seem like a brave move, but this shirt has been tried

and tested, it doesn't show sweat too badly.

I'm up for a white one tonight,

but it can get pretty sweaty in it, so I thought I might as well

go for the white T-shirt underneath it, it'll soak a right bit of it.

Forget about the Million, you're not taking any more of mine,

you've used it all. Bit of David Beckham.

# I looked out my window, what did I see... #

Meanwhile, the Breslins

and their friend Dervla have arrived in Monaghan to dance

to one of Ireland's top country stars, Robert Mizzell.

One of the attractions of the country scene is a return to

old school forms of courting,

and dad Tommy is taking a keen interest in his girls' love life.

I'll be keeping a wee eye on them, to see who they'll be dancing with,

if they are a rich puppet or a poor puppet, you know what I mean?

I'll be keeping them right, you know what I mean?

For Samantha and Dervla, it's thin pickings on the courting front.

WHOOPING

There's a few good looking fellas, and they're all right,

but they're bit too old for us, I'd say.

They mostly have their wives with them.

There's no chance of romance for us tonight, unfortunately.

Or maybe we're lucky that way!

There may be no romance in the air,

but Emma has bagged herself a jiving ace.

Fella that took me out for a dance, I don't know where he was taught how,

but he is just absolutely brilliant, he's some beat in him, like,

he just has the rhythm of the music.

Well, I just said to him, "I'd love to dance the way you can dance,

"I went to dancing lessons and I wasn't taught like that."

And he was like, "Well, sure, if you gave me your number, I'll be able

"to meet up with you and teach you how to dance the way I was taught."

And I don't know if that was a wee bit cheesy,

to get my number, like, but I might give it a go.

I'd like to get dancing the way he dances.

WHOOPING AND CHEERING

That's a brand-new song off my latest album,

that's Down On The Bayou, ladies and gentlemen...

# I try my best, pass all my tests But you don't seem to see... #

Country music diehards Simon

and Eoin are at the Dungiven Barn Dance, which is in full swing.

-If we can't get a dance tonight, Eoin...

-Ha-ha, true!

Look at that!

# Oh, kiss me, Mary, kiss me, Mary Kiss me one more time...

Dancing is hot and sweaty work,

and two accomplished pros such as Simon and Eoin have a couple

of tricks up their sleeve to keep them looking fresh at all times.

Come on out and change your shirt, I'm out here now.

Right, come on ahead, quick.

-Whoo!

-He's sweating a bit.

Need to get that changed, boys.

-What do you think?

-Aye, not bad.

-Good talent.

Pretty good, some talent about.

Anything in the bag for later?

Well, haven't shot yet, but when he shoots, he scores, like!

Got a bit of spade work done.

To keep the whole dry shirt routine seamless,

it is important not to be too obvious.

You know, if I'm back in,

mostly they'll know that I'm changing my shirt, I mean,

some people will say, "Oh, you've went out and changed your shirt!"

You're like, "Yeah, I have!"

Mine's the same colour, the same white collar, it's all right.

Done, sorted.

Just have to pretend there's hair gel here.

Courage to finish the night, that's the way to go.

Aye, we'll get the jive on, then. Need somebody we can jive with.

We'll either split two girls up or we'll take two that we know

can dance, or we've seen.

Anything at all.

-You can't get fussy at this stage!

-No.

Simon and Eoin might have the moves, but impressing 22-year-old

farmer's daughter Eleanor takes more than just quick feet.

You get talking to them and you maybe see what line of work

they're in, if they are big-time farmer, or if they're beef or dairy.

I'd be more into the beef farmers, I suppose I can relate more.

These dairy farmers, if you married one of them,

you might not get too many holidays,

because they're always with their cattle, morning, noon and night.

As an only child on a family farm, her parents are also taking

an active interest in who she might court with.

A few weeks ago there,

a new vet started working in the practice in the town,

and my dad came in to me one evening and he says,

"Oh, I see there's a new young fella working at the vet's there.

"I'll maybe send you in from now on." I think he was maybe

hinting at something there that he saw, a prospect.

Eleanor and her friend Aisling have been known to travel

hundreds of miles from rural County Down in search

of a good country music night out.

You know the way to a man's heart is through his belly?

-It's the same sort of idea with the horses.

-Same with the horses, right.

So, you remember that when you're cooking your man a big dinner.

You feed them well and they keep coming back. That's the way to do it.

Eleanor's mum and dad might have high expectations about her

meeting a suitable partner, but she may be already taken.

I got Penny when I was 16, and I remember that

because I sort of had to make a decision between a boy and a horse.

So I went for the horse!

That's all I can really say about that.

So I think I made the right decision.

Would you do the same again, Eleanor?

Yeah, I probably would. I prefer my horse.

She's strong and reliable and we've a good working relationship going on.

See, she's enjoying that.

You wouldn't get that sort of a response from a man.

The summer is rolling on.

If Enda wants to be able to compete on the dancing front with the likes

of Simon and Eoin before autumn, he's going to have to learn fast.

Just as well you don't need a dance floor to practise your steps.

Just getting finished up here for the day

waiting on Tammy to come for a wee sneaky private lesson.

Cos I think I need it.

-Well, Enda.

-Tammy.

-Y'all ready for this?

Out anywhere over the weekend?

-I was out Saturday night for a while, yeah.

-Any jiving?

-I tried to jive.

-Trying?

-Trying.

-How did it go?

Went all right. I kind of forgot most things, but.

-Have you your shoes with you or what's the craic?

-I forgot them.

-You forgot them?

-Mmm, I was working all day.

-Right, are you comfortable enough to dance in them?

-Aye.

A good dancer never blames his shoes, so we'll give it a go.

-If you want to find the rhythm with a lady, what do you do?

-This.

-Yeah, and where does your feet go?

-I don't know.

Right foot in and out.

And in and out.

Out, in, out, in.

So if you practise that, that then eventually becomes your footwork.

-Right.

-When you're ready.

-One, two, three.

-OK, stop there.

You're not driving a bus. A lady's a delicate thing.

I want you to put your arms...

You're in control of her,

-you're not swinging like you're steering the wheel of a bus.

-OK.

If you are swinging your lady out to here, you're going

-to drop hands and loss her to some other man.

-I don't want that.

No, so you have to keep her in control and keep her close to you.

-Right.

-Ready to try with a piece of music?

-Yeah, we'll give it a go.

MUSIC: Hold Onto Your Hat by Derek Ryan

In, out, in, out.

One, two, three.

One, two. Right hand.

Excellent.

One, two. And your feet are moving, that's good.

One, two, half turn.

One, two, three.

One, two, three.

-Glad to see the song to end?

-Aye.

The hardest part of jiving is remembering what comes next.

But the key for you, Enda, is just to keep practising

and working at it.

But I think you'll get there. Very good.

# I met her in the Galteemore In the Galteemore in Cricklewood... #

The Breslins - Dad Tommy, daughter Samantha and friend Dervla -

are back out seeing Irish country artist Michael English.

# In the Galteemore in Cricklewood

# I asked her for a dance and she said she would

# The band played an oldie called In The Mood

# I met her in the Galteemore... #

But as the evening goes on,

as far as dancing with the opposite sex is concerned,

it looks like only one member of the party is getting all the action.

This is called I Don't Want The Money.

# I don't want the money

# I just want your time... #

Daddy has every woman out on the floor there.

I had two dances with him. He has every other woman out on the floor.

-I don't know how he does it.

-Neither do I. He's in his element.

Holy shit, he's as fit as I am. Fit as a fiddle.

# If our love dies It won't go to heaven

# Cos it's already been there all the time... #

Daddy's getting all the dances.

That's cos older men are just always up for a bit of jiving.

He waltzing round the floor and sitting smiling just like...

"I'm watching you."

He's a great dancer. He has every woman on the floor on the floor.

He knows them all, he dances them all, isn't that right, Tommy?

-Yeah, you're right.

-And he's looking for Miss Right, by the way.

So many dance partners to get through, so little time.

Here we go.

Two, three, four.

-What's that on your shirt?

-I think maybe...

And you're talking about not getting it off.

Girls just like it a bit tighter than a man wants. I'm not...

As you know yourself...

-Don't go into any detail.

-No, I'm kinda shy as you can see.

-Shy?!

-Shy?! You are not shy.

-I'm normally a wee bit tight, Samantha.

Well, you needn't think I'm cleaning that in the morning.

One of the climaxes of the country summer

is the Clonmany Festival in Donegal.

And Simon and Eoin are at home making sure

they have enough shirts for the dancing.

Country music seems to be working wonders for Simon's domestic skills.

He's coming on, isn't he? A little bit of make-up there, Simon.

That shirt'll be no good to you.

There's going to be more make-up on it,

going to make the washing machine earn its keep.

You could meet the woman of your dreams out there.

That could happen any night, I suppose.

Somebody new.

You could end up going places or going on a date the next morning

-or something.

-I don't think so.

-You'd be like David Beckham.

You'd call your first child where you met the partner.

He called his first child Brooklyn cos he met whatever in Brooklyn.

Ballyliffin wouldn't be a great name.

Call it something, Donegal or North West.

In Rathfriland, Eleanor

and Aisling are getting ready for one of the biggest events in

the country music calendar -

the annual young farmers dance in Ballymena.

I am going for it and I have no idea what dress I'm going to wear

-to match this.

-Pink matches.

I think I have one pink dress and it's in Belfast.

I'm wearing either black and white or black and white.

Right, monochrome look.

It's a chance for the girls to reminisce about some

of the fellas they've met on previous nights out.

Who was that boy you met last time?

-Oh, Robert!

-Robert!

Yes, that's right.

He was the one that tried to slip in in front of us at the bar,

-but we wangled a wee free drink out of it.

-Good old Robbie.

Then he gave me lessons in how to change gears in a 40-foot trailer.

-Sounds exciting.

-It was.

It's a three transition gearbox or something.

High, medium, low

and you've to go through the gears with every transition.

Then I got my licence out and showed him

I did the trailer test category B and E.

-Love at first sight.

-He seemed suitably impressed, so he did.

Eoin and Simon have arrived in small-town Donegal

for an open-air country music dancing festival.

And dancing isn't the only thing they're interested in.

Hello, girls. We're boys.

There's a lot of very good-looking girls, from this angle anyway.

When we're dancing that might be a different story,

but there's only one thing we can do and that's find out.

# Wham, bam, thank you, ma'am

# I'll be on my way

# Thank you but no thank you

# Not today... #

The Clonmany Festival is headlined by country star Robert Mizzell

and is an extravaganza of all things country

before the chill autumn nights begin to set in.

# I'm just too young to get married, you see

# There's too many places... #

It's a pretty open floor. Anybody can walk on to it.

There's a lot of girls just standing round the edge.

They're just itching for somebody to take them up, so it's just a matter

of going up and saying, "Are you coming for a dance?"

-Shall we give it a go then?

-Let's go.

Not that fast now!

# I didn't know it way back then how she influenced me... #

There's a girl there in a white dress, I asked her for a dance.

"Aye, I can dance, no problem."

I danced with her for about 30 seconds, she turns around and goes,

"Oh, no, I can't dance in heels, you're a professional.

"You know what you're at here, I don't."

And I'm a complete bluffer, like anybody else,

I just try and pass myself at it.

I really can't in these shoes.

-You can't dance in them shoes?

-No.

-You've messed my hair and everything now.

-Sorry, darling.

She turned around and said,

"I can't dance any more," and sort of turned and walked away.

It sort of makes you feel down on yourself at times,

but what do you do?

You just look for somebody else and go over and say, "Can YOU dance?"

If they say yes, well, then, back up you go again and away you go, like.

Farmer's girl Eleanor

and friend Aisling are in Ballymena where the biggest country

music gig of the year takes place in a livestock yard.

Oh, there's piles of people here. It's huge.

My word, how are we ever going to find anyone here?

You'd be totally lost.

# Hold on to your hat... #

Derek Ryan is the hottest ticket on the country music circuit.

Over 2,000 young farmers have travelled for miles around

so there's no shortage of eligible bachelors with a good acreage.

The girls were soon jiving their way through the floor, but it's

not just a man's jiving skills that Eleanor is interested in.

# I'll care for you and love you too until the day I die

# Hold on to your hat... #

Being a dairy farmer is a fatal blow for any young man's chances

with the discerning Eleanor.

But the night is still young.

Here we go. One, two, one, two, three.

He has a couple of vintage tractors and that,

so that's a common interest too.

But he's a beef and a sheep farmer, so a bit of craic.

He is a good dancer, so I'll definitely jive with him again,

maybe learn a few more steps from him or something.

# My country so-o-oul So-o-oul... #

While Eleanor seems to have found some common ground in

vintage tractors, Aisling is in demand as a dance partner.

He was lovely. He was really nice. A pure farmer.

Nice shirt, brown shoes and he was, he was good at the jiving,

he wasn't so good at the waltzing, but he was a good jiver,

so what more can you want?

# Praise the Lord I saw the light... #

I think Aisling's maybe found a man with a bit of potential.

He was well turned out and he seemed like a good gentleman anyway.

She seemed to like him and as far as you can tell,

they got a wee Facebook add, so it's maybe all systems go.

There are a couple of interesting characters on the scene.

I don't know if I'll be bringing any of them home any time soon,

but we'll keep going out and keep jiving away and see what happens.

# I ain't seen no misery since you've been gone

# Well, hello trouble... #

Back on the Main Street of Clonmany,

country music star Robert Mizzell is bringing his open-air concert

to a close and, as usual,

it has been a night of non-stop jiving for the boys.

Thank you!

But as the clean-up begins,

Eoin seems to have lost his wingman, Simon.

He's living up to his name, Slippery Simon. He's long gone.

I haven't seen him in an hour or two.

He's not away by himself, that's one thing for sure.

I'm trying to ring him here, but there's no answer.

He's not answering, anyway, so he must be busy of some sort.

Going straight to voicemail,

so he's obviously at something he shouldn't be at.

# And as I wonder where you are

# I'm so lonesome I could cry. #

Summer is coming to an end and time is running out for Enda.

This Saturday night is the big one, the end of season barn dance.

This is what I've been practising the jive for.

This was all towards this one night.

So I want to go out there, strut the stuff, show everybody what

I've learnt, that it wasn't a waste of time, especially Tammy.

Fingers crossed I don't be swinging the girls like I swing a bus.

Enda has only one more of Tammy's lessons left to

perfect his technique.

Get your partner. Enda, get your partner.

-Get a partner.

-You're shaking.

-Aye, I'm shaking.

-Why?

-Just a nervous thing.

-Really?

One. Smiles, ladies face.

Three, two, one double out. One back, ladies.

-Toe spin. What are you at?

-I don't know.

-Back to the start.

No mistakes this time, Enda. That's it.

Pushing off each other so the man's going to turn this time

and the lady's going to spin back round. Catching two right hands.

So two right hands back-to-back.

Right hands back-to-back. Has everybody got that far?

Let's put them together quickly.

Oh, no, I was right enough.

-Yeah.

-Hang on, I'll swing you.

But things are looking distinctly bumpy.

Oh, no.

THEY LAUGH

Teacher Tammy steps in to steady the boat.

See here, you're going like this. Try and stay up.

Three, two...

That's better.

-Well done. Just a wee bit of work.

-Aye.

-Right, Lyn, your turn.

-I'm a lot better than when I started.

I'd have the confidence now to go and ask a girl out to dance now,

so that was the main thing and I can do that.

I feel I can do that now, so that's the first hurdle over.

Now it's the big stage that's the next hurdle.

I hope all goes well on Saturday.

Tommy's country summer has moved up a level.

While out dancing with the girls, he has met someone special.

Tonight is a big night.

After the split in his marriage,

he's getting ready for his first ever date.

..This night I was up there and I met this girl, a lovely person.

I never met the like of her in my life. I'm telling you,

would you believe it, when I met her first, there was

something different about her than any other woman.

I'm going to meet her tonight

and this is the first date ever in my life. I'm a bit shaky now.

I'll have to take a wee brandy before I go

because I'll be shaking going up the road.

Especially a woman talking to me, it'll scare the life out of me,

I'm telling you it will.

D-K-N-Y, whatever that means.

I don't know much about it,

but they like the wee tint of a wee scent around the neck, they like it.

You wouldn't believe they liked the old perfume.

Some women are very particular about themselves, you know.

But I'm not as particular, to tell you the truth. Anything will do me.

I'd wear a boiler suit, anything would do me.

We're ready for the dancing now, lad. Are you ready to come?

Bring the brandy with you!

# Why'd do you come in here looking like that

# In your high-heeled boots and your painted-on jeans

# All decked out like a cowgirl's dreams

# Why'd you come in here looking like that? #

And it took you a long time to come for your first date,

but I'm delighted because you are a star, I love you to bits.

It took me a wee while to get to know you, Tommy.

I have to get to know the person.

I don't go out on a date with just anybody.

-You wouldn't go on a date with just anybody?

-No.

I've been clouted before, I won't be clouted again!

Oh, golly, golly. Right, right.

I didn't think you were going to ask me out to dance at all.

I love dancing with a good dancer and you are one of them

-as well as a singer.

-I'm learning very quickly once I met you.

You're a great teacher, so you are.

I've danced with a lot of girls and I mean a lot of girls.

You'd have seen me sometimes dancing any nights I go,

20, 25, 30, maybe more even, girls a night.

20 maybe 10, some nights 15.

But when I did come across her, there were some feelings that

she was the one that I did really, really want.

That's only the first that I ever really wanted.

I've been so lucky she's saying the same to me.

It's very hard to get somebody respectable and decent,

and hopefully the two of us will work out. It would be great if we do.

She's a lovely person. I hope it works out.

Are you trying to get me drunk?

A wee beer wouldn't do that. No, no.

# You know I like my chicken fried

# Cold beer on a Friday night

# Pair of jeans that fit just right and the radio on... #

The countdown is over for Enda.

He set himself the challenge of learning to jive over the summer

and now the big night has arrived.

Tonight's the night. We're heading for Dungiven.

Hopefully I'll have the courage now to ask somebody out to dance

and hopefully I'll remember all me moves.

So the sweat is on.

I bought the best dancing shoe on the market. These bad boys.

Hopefully they'll make me dance better.

# Dancing for my baby tonight You just sing along... #

Country star John McNicholl is playing the Dungiven barn dance.

# Come on, dance Let's dance... #

Are you all excited?

-Nervous.

-Don't be nervous, you know the stuff, you've been there

and you've done it now and...

It's all right at dance practice, but this is the real McCoy.

Even though the night has arrived,

dance teacher Tammy is still coaching Enda on the basic moves.

Lady under, as the lady comes back the man goes under.

Leave him alone, he's nervous, God love him.

-We're going to have a wee practice when we go in any way.

-Aye.

# Ain't going to need this house no longer

# Ain't going to need this house no more

# Ain't got time to fix the shingles, ain't got time... #

To get the night started,

it's straight onto the dance floor for an easy warm-up routine,

a line dance called the Hucklebuck.

# Ain't going to need this house longer

# I'm getting ready to meet the saints

# This old house is getting shaky... #

Jiving and the country music scene is very traditional.

It's up to the man to invite a woman to the dance floor.

But Enda is getting cold feet.

-You can do it.

-No.

-You can do it!

-Tammy spies a potential dancing partner.

-Just go over and ask her.

-I don't know.

-Just do it. Go on.

Having plucked up the courage, it is the moment of truth.

# Let's dance on the floor with your baby tonight

# Let me hear you sing along

# Jiving through the quicksteps

# Until the break of dawn

# Come on, dance, let's dance

# It's here where we belong

# I'll just keep on singing If you just dance along... #

Ten dance classes, two private lessons

and a lot of hard graft, Enda has pulled it off.

That boy can jive.

# But I'm crazy over you... #

Go on, Enda! Whoo!

Yeah, he was very good, so he was.

He's a great dancer. He just came over and took me by surprise.

Somebody I was told he couldn't even dance and he came over

and he pretty much taught me how to dance.

He was that good.

# I'll keep on singing if you just dance along

# I'll keep on singing if you just dance along. #

To go out there tonight and do it and ask some stranger to dance,

it's a big lift of my shoulders. I just love it now.

It feels great to be able to go out and ask somebody to jive.

And no more watching handbags and phones and high-heeled shoes,

that's all finished now.

A dancer all the time for me.

# Ireland's turned to country everywhere you go

# From Cork right up to Donegal

# From Dublin to Mayo

# Yeah, me and my band gonna cross the land

# We're putting on a show

# People say it's here to stay Ireland's turned to country

# And I do believe it's here to stay Ireland's turned to country. #