The woman who brought Irish dancing to Swindon, teaching hundreds of children and organising countless displays and exhibitions in the town, has died at the age of 83.

An All Ireland Champion on three occasions, Mary Kelly – known as May – taught traditional Irish step dancing in Swindon for a quarter of a century before hanging up her dancing shoes in 1992.

As a result of May’s expertise and enthusiasm, thousands of people have enjoyed Irish dancing displays in Swindon since the Sixties – at weddings, festivals and numerous charity events.

Many of her pupils went on to win competitions and Irish dancing continues to flourish in the town today after several of May’s students launched their own successful schools.

Mike McInerney, a former member of the Kelly School of Irish Dancing, who runs his own Swindon school and teaches all over the world, said: “I wouldn’t be doing this if it wasn’t for May. She introduced Irish dancing to Swindon. No-one had seen an Irish dancing display here until May started teaching.”

In recent years several of Mike’s pupils, including May’s granddaughter Erin Leighton, now 20, have qualified for the World Irish Dancing Championships.

Mike, 49, who was seven when he began going to the Kelly School, went on: “May was a remarkable woman. Going to the Kelly school was like joining a family. She made us feel part of a family. The fact that Irish dancing is thriving in Swindon is all down to May. Her legacy is continuing in Swindon down through the generations.”

Brought up in Waterford, May became the toast of the town when she won the national championships three times during her late teens and early twenties – a huge achievement in Ireland.

She came to Swindon in 1954 to marry her fiancé Chris, who had found work in the town after arriving from Kilkenny.

May, who lived in Evelyn Street, Old Town, for nearly 50 years, told the Advertiser in 1983: “I danced until the time I came over. I wanted to keep up my Irish dancing. But there was no Irish dancing here and I felt lost.”

However, in the 1960s Swindon’s Irish Club, having heard of May’s championship winning exploits back home, suggested that she start her own school of dance here.

May recalled: “I started the classes to keep Irish traditions alive in this country. I wanted to promote Irish culture over here.”

From 1967 until she retired in 1992, May taught some 700 children the intricate art of reels, hornpipes, slip jigs, set dances and figure dances. She staged hundreds of displays in and around Swindon years before Irish dancing was popularised through Riverdance.

She also introduced Irish dancing competitions in the town, which became major events and attracted dancers from London, the Midlands and throughout the West.

May’s former pupils included the late Margaret Nolan, who went on to run her own Swindon school.

Another local Irish dancing school is run by Ian Boyd, who was taught by Mike, Margaret and May’s daughter Pauline, who ran the Kelly school for several years after her mother‘s retirement.

Dancing teacher Sarah Moloney, whose Swindon school has been going for 15 years, was four when she started at the Kelly school. Sarah, 34, said: “I really loved going to the classes. I’m doing what I’m doing now because of Mrs Kelly.

“She was a wonderful teacher. She was so kind and so patient with her pupils.

“People say that Michael Flatley is the father of Irish Dancing. For me, Mrs Kelly is the Mother of Irish Dancing.”

May died peacefully at the Kingsmead nursing home in Swindon on May 1 after a long illness. Her husband Chris passed away at the same home in October last year, aged 81.

May leaves a daughter Pauline, 54, son Stephen, 50, and five grandchildren Conor, 24, Erin, 20, Bridie, nine, Will, seven and Ted, four.

Former pupils of the Kelly School are expected to attend the funeral at Holy Rood Church, Swindon at 11.30am on Friday, May 14 to pay tribute to May Kelly…forever an Irish dancer.