Following a whistle-blower email, journalist Ellen Coyne found herself plunged into the cut-throat side of competitive Irish dancing. What Ellen discovered, and reveals in extensive and explosive detail, is that the picture-perfect world of Irish dancing has operated for years within a toxic environment of bitter rivalries, allegations of competition fixing accusations and even more serious rumours that swirl around some of the most high-profile dancing competitions in the world. From feis fixing to false allegations, why are the dancehalls across this island such a hotbed for malicious conspiracy? And what next for a world steeped in tradition and global success yet mired in controversy?

Ellen Coyne is a political correspondent at The Irish Times. She was previously a correspondent with the Irish Independent and The Times Ireland. In both 2017 and 2018 she won the Newsbrands Ireland Journalism Award for political story of the year. Her previous book Are You There, God? It’s Me, Ellen was published in 2020. A Waterford native, she lives in Dublin.