Lecturer

Irene O'Mara is a lecturer at MTU Cork School of Music, where she teaches Acting and Voice on the BA Theatre & Drama Studies and BA Musical Theatre programmes. She was Course Coordinator for BA Musical Theatre from January 2021–2023 and has served as (Acting) Head of Department for Pop, Jazz, Trad, Voice & Theatre Studies (Jan–June 2024 & 2025). Her voicework is grounded in breath, gently opening up how we speak and helping people find a more connected, natural way of communicating — on stage or off.

Irene is currently seconded to the Department of Learning, Teaching & the Arts (formerly the TLU) as Lead Faculty Liaison on Faculty Enhancement Review (FER) Training Support, following her role as Project Lead for TSAF Staff Development (2024–2026), where she coordinated team and staff development programmes across all five MTU faculties.

Since 2023 she has led the Sparks Learning Community, connecting BA Theatre & Drama Studies students with professional theatre partners — including the Everyman, Cork Arts Theatre & Cork Theatre Collective — through weekly sessions for a cohort of 50+ students.

As a dialect and vocal coach, Irene's recent credits include Pool (No Water) and Disco Pigs (30th-anniversary production) at the Everyman Cork, and The House Must Win. Her practice combines melody-first accent training, text-as-phonetic-data analysis, and cultural grounding. She holds an MA in Voice Studies from the Central School of Speech and Drama, University of London, and a joint honours degree in Drama and Theatre Studies and Music from UCC.

Irene is also a member of Sing Along Social, a performance group championing craic, connection & community, performing at festivals & events including All Together Now, Electric Picnic, Beyond the Pale & many more.