At Home and Abroad

Maureen Mulvey-O'Leary - Toronto Irish Person of the Year 2024 Maureen was raised in Drumshanbo, County Leitrim. Dad from Leitrim, Mom from County Down. From 3 years of age, Maureen was dancing step dancing and teaching with the local dance teacher from the age of 12. As a teenager, she discovered ceili dancing and in the mid-’80s started teaching set dancing and has been teaching ever since for almost 40 years. In her youth, Maureen would be the first on the floor jiving and waltzing and ceili dancing and teaching anyone who wanted help and still is today. Adult dancing classes are alive and well in Toronto, London, Kingston, Whitby, Ottawa, P.E.I because of Maureen. Over the years, she held workshops in major cities and smaller towns across Ontario. She has taught at Comhaltas Conventions in San Francisco, Washington, St. Louis and Chicago as well as at festivals in Canada and Ireland. Maureen is very proud of her daughter Colleen who has been by her side since she was a very young age. They’ve lead Irish summer camp for kids across the GTA to teach the children the complete Irish culture.