Fondo N86 - The O'Mahony-Keniry Papers

James O’Mahony was born in 1888 in John Street on the north side of Cork city to Michael and Catherine O’Mahony. He was orphaned at a young age and started school on the south side of the city in South Presentation Convent. He began dancing in St Dominic’s GAA Club on the north side of the city and was friendly with Willie and Freddie Murray, well-known Irish dancers of the day. James O’Mahony was a barber by trade and worked in Midleton, where he met his wife, Mary Cunningham. In 1935, they moved to Castlemartyr, where James opened a barber shop. He also taught Irish dancing in Castlemartyr and around East Cork. He died in 1973.

Kathleen O'Mahony was born in Midleton in 1931 to James O'Mahony and Mary Cunningham. Her father taught Irish dancing in Castlemartyr and around East Cork. Kathleen and her brother Patrick danced from a very young age at local events and Feiseanna. She later commuted to Cork to dance in Peg McTeggart’s School of Irish dancing. She won the Munster senior ladies’ championship in 1948 and was also a member of the team that won the Ring Cup in Feis Maitiu.

Kathleen O’Mahony married Dominic Keniry in 1953. Two years later, she started a dance class in the parish hall in Midleton, naming it the O’Mahony School of Irish Dancing. To this was added a class in Youghal 1959, in addition to which Kathleen Keniry also taught classes in various locations in East Cork and in Tallow, county Waterford. When her father died in 1973, she changed the name of her business to Keniry School of Irish Dancing. Under her directorship, it enjoyed great successes over the years, including All Ireland figure dancing championships. In 2007, she was elected President of An Chomhdhail, in which capacity she served until 2010. When she died in 2018, her daughter, Geraldine Cunning, took over the school in Midleton. She continues to run it with a former pupil, Michael Cahill, under the name Keniry Cahill Academy of Dance.