Social Irish dancing can be an amazing way to spend your time. I created this site around 2010 to serve as a repository of information on social Irish dancing in the Bay Area tradition. It has not been regularly updated since the mid-2010s.
If you're looking for a printed reference, I'd suggest Tom Quinn's Irish Dancing Collins Pocket Reference. While it isn't comprehensive, it is exceedingly clear and has an excellent glossary. I also carry around a copy of the Irish Dancing Commission's Ár Rincí Fóirne: Thirty Popular Ceili Dances. Again, not comprehensive, but essentially the Bible for the thirty dances contained therein. You can order a copy from the CLRG.
I have created a brochure called Calling Notes for Irish Dances which focuses on the most common dances I see among the Irish community here in the Bay Area. Initially created in 2009, the brochure is currently on its third printing. Feel free to ask me to mail you a copy!