During the Penal days, the Irish danced "in front of the hearth," says Howard. "Dad would get up and do a step, the uncle would try to outdo the dad, the son would get up and do a double click with the heels instead of a single click." That one-upmanship was formalized in the 1890s in feiseanna, competitions not only for the best dancers and musicians but for the best soda bread.