For those bemoaning the cancellation of this year’s Seacoast Irish Festival, there comes a glimmer of hope. A group of parents of students at the recently formed Murray Irish Dance Academy has organized “An Evening of Irish Crac (fun)” to be held at the Dover Elks Lodge, Saturday, July 15 at 6 p.m. The evening will feature a dinner catered by Kelley’s Row, musical and dance performances, and a silent auction.

Raeline O’Neil, a dance student’s mother and member of the organizing committee, said the event was not a result of the decision to not hold a weekend-long Irish cultural festival in Dover this summer.

“It’s purely by accident that it worked out that way,” she said. The group of parents first began planning the event at the beginning of April.

The Murray Irish Dance Academy was started in 2005. When it started, there were only eight students; that number has grown to 80, according to O’Neil. The Academy offers lessons in both Portsmouth and Exeter. The event is a way to raise money for the academy. Proceeds will go toward the purchase of a portable dance floor for use during the academy’s various public appearances; without the benefit of a hard surface to dance on, the auditory aspect of traditional Irish dance is lost on the audience.

“As a parents’ group, we’re looking to support our children’s activity,” said O’Neil. It is also hoped that money from this event could also go toward a college scholarship to be awarded to one of the students. “There’s a lot of things we’d like to do with the money we hope to raise,” said O’Neil.

In addition to performances from the Murray students, the Dover Rovers, a four-man Irish a capella group, will perform. Kelley’s Row regulars An Banna Ceoil will also play. The silent auction includes donations from a wide range of area businesses, as well as homemade gift baskets. Tickets for the event cost $25, including dinner, and can be purchased from O’Neil at 603-781-4546 or Jaclyn Claxton at 603-750-5075. At press time, O’Neil estimated no more than 90 tickets remained.