Dance Research Forum Ireland was founded in 2003. It is a non-profit inter-disciplinary society for scholarship of dance, in all its manifestations, in Ireland

Ireland

Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

 and its diaspora. It was formed by Dr. Catherine Foley of the University of Limerick

University of Limerick

The University of Limerick is a university in Ireland near the city of Limerick on the island's west coast. It was established in 1972 as the National Institute for Higher Education, Limerick and became a university by statute in 1989 in accordance with the University of Limerick Act 1989...

, who was the initial chairperson, with Michael Seaver

Michael Seaver

Michael Seaver is a writer and musician in Ireland. He is the dance critic with The Irish Times and Irish correspondent with the Christian Science Monitor, as well as principal clarinetist with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra...

 vice-chair and Victoria O'Brien, secretary. At present Dr. Foley is chairperson, Orfhlaith Ni Bhriain is vice-chair and Olive Beecher is secretary.

The 1st International Conference was hosted by the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance at the University of Limerick in 2006.