World Champion Irish Dancer has roots firmly in Glenravel

MARIA Coco Puente de la Vega has been crowned the 13-14 Girls World Champion at the CLRG World Championships in Irish Dance held at Easter in The Convention Centre, Dublin.

The competition is attended by thousands of both male and female dancers from all over the world and takes place over 8 days across a range of age groups.

There were 160 competitors in Maria’s competition alone.

Growing up in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Maria's roots are in the Glens of Antrim.

Her mother Úna, daughter of Raymond and the late Pauline Scullion, was born and raised in Glenravel where the extended Scullion family still live. Maria travels frequently to the Glens to spend time with her family.

She has also been able to keep up her dance practice in the area, when necessary, through her family’s connections to the Con Magees GAA club and local Irish dancing teacher Elizabeth Steele, who have both enabled her to use their spaces.

Her journey to the top of the podium began when she was three years old.

She learned the basics and then started competing at local Feiseanna around the region at the age of four.

She progressed quickly and her first major title was achieved in 2018 when she won the Under 7 category at the All Scotland Championships.

She has since gone on to win the All Scotlands another three times (she is the current title holder).

She is also a Great Britain champion twice over, Three Nations champion x2 and in 2023 won the prestigious All Irelands title in the Under 12 age group in Killarney, County Kerry.

Six weeks later in April 2023 she won her first World Championship title in Montreal Canada, in the 11-12 age group, bringing home only the second globe won by a female dancer in the Northeast of England.

The first was won by her own dance teacher Kelly Hendry 25 years ago!

Maria’s World Title achieved in Dublin in April 2025 has made her a double World champion at the age of 14! Another remarkable milestone in an already glittering career!