Irish dancing's oldest governing body has been hit by allegations of competition fixing and cheating.
An Coimisiún le Rincí Gaelacha (CLRG), the biggest governing body of Irish dancing in the world, has launched an investigation into the allegations of results fixing.
The CLRG ethics committee received allegations of several grievous breaches of its code of conduct, it said in a statement.
"Such unethical behaviour cannot and will not be tolerated," the Dublin based CLRG said.
It has engaged a former Court of Appeal judge to "oversee and supervise the immediate investigation".
What prompted the investigation?
Complaints were made to An Coiste Faire (CLRG Ethics Comittee) in July.
It is believed there are a number of teachers and schools implicated in the allegations.
It was alleged that at least 12 dance teachers in Ireland and other countries either asked for, or offered to, fix competitions, according to The Irish Independent.
The newspaper reported that in one case a teacher and a competition judge appeared to be exchanging higher scores for sexual favours.
CLRG said the judge would "oversee and supervise the immediate investigation" into these matters "due to the potential extent" of such allegations.
The judge will have full and open access to the resources and records.
"The process will no doubt be difficult and arduous, but this grossly unethical behaviour must be eliminated from our competitions, dance schools and governing organisations," CLRG said in its statement.
"An Coimisiún regards such breaches to be gross misconduct."
It added that the process had already started, but "to ensure the integrity of the process and until it is complete, no further comments will be made".
So, what exactly is CLRG?
It is Ireland's oldest established organisation for Irish dancing and is regarded internationally as its guardian.
At its very top levels, Irish dancing is a highly competitive and physically demanding activity which requires many years of practice.
Irish dancing has become a global phenomenon attracting people with and without Irish ancestry.
The CLRG, a cultural organisation that promotes Irish dance and the use of Irish language, has been around since the 1930s.
It organises Ireland's regional and national championships along with the World Irish Dancing Championships. It has members across all five continents around the world, including Australia.
