The Irish Institute of Celebrants
Professional Celebrant Training
Meet Our Training Team
Dr. Lorraine Mancey O 'Brien
PhD, Trinity College, Dublin
MA Cultural Anthropology,
BA (Hons), Univ. of London.
Dr Lorraine Mancey O Brien is an academic lecturer, trainer and social reformer.
She trained in cultural anthropology and is an expert in rites of passage. She has worked at Trinity College, UCD, Irish Aid, Ruhama and many other global organisations.
Her passion is storytelling, learning and social justice. She is a passionate teacher and a tireless advocate for equality. She is fascinated by the diversity of people she meets who wish to train as celebrants and she feels it is both a privilege and a pleasure to produce celebrants of such high calibre through their training programmes.
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Ph.D. M.A. (Hons) Diploma in Integrative Psychotherapy and Counselling. B.A. (Hons),
H. Dip in Ed. (Hons) Dip in Computers in Ed.
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Dr. Phil Robert MIACP
Dr. Phil Robert MIACP is a psychotherapist, counsellor, motivational speaker and author from Dublin. She is in private practice in Cabinteely
and facilitates workshops on mental health issues and life experiences that can impact on mental health i.e. Burnout and Self Care, Stress
Management, Bereavement, Anger Management and Low Self-Esteem. Phil has co-authored and published affordable, easy to follow guides to
empower people to meet their challenges and take control of their own
lives.
Kevin Thompson
BSc MEd FHEA FSA(Scot), Dip Education,Dip Computer Education
Dip E-Learning Assessment,Cert UK
College of Celebrancy
Kevin is a passionate believer in life long learning and has worked across all sectors in Education.
Latterly Principal Lecturer at Anglia Ruskin University, Kevin worked, on the innovative Ultraversity project – an online, work-based degree focusing on research.
Kevin has great experience as guest speaker and presenter at conferences and Technology Shows here and abroad and has a variety of text-books and papers published.
In 2009 he felt a new calling, becoming an Independent Celebrant and has since conducted over 900 ceremonies for funerals, marriages and baby-namings, He is currently Vice-President of SICA -the Scottish Independent Celebrants Association.
In 2009/10 he toured N.Ireland and Scotland taking his one-man show “Burns250” to more than 150 schools and other venues.
Following his own belief in life-long learning, Kevin is currently studying again, undertaking an Interfaith Ministry Course with Ordination planned for 2017.
Claire Jenkins
BA in Acting (Queen Margaret University
Edinburgh) L.A.M.D.A Gold Medal in
Performance.
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Claire is a Voice Over Artist, Actor & Drama facilitator.Nominated for both Spotlight and Laurence Olivier Awards while at Drama school,her training has encompassed work at The International Theatre Lab and workshops with Brigid Panet of RADA in her exploration of the work of Shakespeare.
Claire teaches Drama in schools across Dublin and also works as a freelance vocal coach.
Other work as an actor has included RTE's “The Clinic” and numerous national theatre tours. She is a mentor on the Playwrighting Project with the Abbey Theatre and Fighting Words, an organisation set up by Roddy Doyle to encourage creativity in young people.
Claire's work as a practitioner focuses on connection to text. Believing that words and how we speak them, can help us connect on a deeper emotional level to the complex and joyous experience of being human.
Eveanna O Meara
MA (Hons), BA (Hons), ALCM
Eveanna is a qualified Dramatherapist, Drama Teacher, Youth Worker and Family Celebrant with additional qualifications in psychology, addiction studies, community development and social justice. Eveanna facilitates courses in improvisation, drama, creative writing, mindfulness and personal development in a variety of settings including addiction services, homeless services, elderly services and youth services. Eveanna has facilitated training on NUI Maynooth’s Addiction Studies Certificate and Youth Justice Certificate. Eveanna also has a background in professional acting and stage-managing.
Eveanna loves this quote from Benjamin Franklin and feels it sums up her approach to facilitating training ‘Tell me and I forget, teach me and I remember, involve me and I learn
Irene O' Mara
MA, Voice Studies, Central School of Speech & Drama, BA (Hons) Univ. of London.
Irene is an assistant Lecturer at CIT Cork School of Music drama and theatre studies degree Her teaching is influenced by the work of Kristin Linklater, Cicely Berry and Barbara Houseman.
Irene works with practical techniques that interrogate how we speak and how to communicate more openly and clearly. In conversation, through a range of exercises using the body, the mind and the voice, she works with students to grow in understanding what good communication is and how to generate an ethos and atmosphere.
Also a seasoned Theatre & Music Events Project Manager & Producer she currently manages and produces the work of Eat My Noise. Her freelance work has included projects with Dead Centre, Raymond Scannell, Broken Crow Theatre Company, Cork Opera House & Efterklang, The Abbey Theatre, The Performance Corporation, Making Strange Theatre, Louise White & Kate Nic Chonaonaigh, Priscilla Robinson, Siren Productions & Colin Dunne.
Eva Hein West
Aoife Moore
Neil Horgan
Eva is an international Actor & Drama facilitator.
She was born in Switzerland, and raised between Ireland and Italy where she attended the Institute of Art in Florence.
In 2011 she graduated from the Actor’s Company (Bavaria) & intensified her Screen Acting training at the i.S.S.F - Actors Studio Berlin.
Privileged to also be fully trained in Tai Chi Chuan, by world champion Marie Hock-Westhoff, Eva was taught the importance of embodiment and awareness of the performer, and that the ultimate presence and strength lies within the calmness.
Eva facilitates courses across Dublin combining a colourful spectrum of Improv, Drama & Holistic Therapies.
BA, (Hons) Drama, The Conservatory
of Music and Drama D.I.T. Dublin
Aoife Moore is an actor based in Dublin. She completed her training in The Conservatory of Music and Drama with a BA (Hons) in Drama. Aoife has extensive experience in many aspects of theatre and has toured Ireland and Europe with her work.
Her training and background extends to contemporary dance theatre, commedia, improvising, physical theatre and voice and has a continuous growing passion for all.
Aoife is a trained Mezzo-Soprano with experience in musical theatre and plays the guitar.
She is a drama facilitator in schools around Dublin and works as the Clown Doctor Dr. Razzmatazz bringing laughter to sick children in Temple Street Children’s Hospital and Our Ladies Children’s Hospital, Crumlin.
Aoife works a lot with the voice and body and values its importance in her work and in life in general.
Aoife loves LOVE and is delighted to be a Marry Me Ireland trainer and celebrant.
Neil is a professional storyteller , a graduate of the International School of Storytelling in the UK , in both adult and children's storytelling .
He is passionate about the ancient craft and specialises in true stories from his own life .
Neil won the Moth true story competition in the Sugar Club in December 2014 and was runner up in the Moth Grand Slam in December 2015 in the Abbey Theatre.
Neill Fleming
Ciaran McCauley
Christine McQuillan
Best Actor (IndieFest) 2014
MA in Drama and Performance UCD.
MH IAMMH Dip.
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Neill Fleming is an actor and writer, known for Engraved (2014), The Hit Producer (2014) and The Three Sisters (2015).
Neill really enjoys training, discovering each persons voice and presence, helping them improve and strengthen their skills and presentation.
It's hugely rewarding to see people gain confidence and enthusiasm as they begin on their path to celebrancy.
Having spent most of his life developing his own voice, he enjoys being able to pass on the knowledge he has gained to show every student their inner potential.
Ciarán is an established actor and esteemed acting /performance coach from Sligo. He has trained at the Ecole de Mime Dramatique, London with Corrine Soum and Steve Wasson and at the Saratoga International Theatre Institute, New York with Anne Bogart. He has been with the Blue Raincoat, Sligo for many years and is a core member of the company. He has also appeared in the Abbey Theatre’s production of The Playboy of the Western World, directed by Niall Henry. Ciaran also facilitates drama workshops for various community groups including Footsteps – Down Syndrome Ireland, the National Council for the blind and the Irish Wheelchair association.
Ciaran has extensive experience in all aspects of theatre work and has considerable training in physical and vocal techniques which can be applied to any performance.
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Christine is a Senior Tutor with the IIOC and is a working family celebrant. She is also a
ceremony writer. Christine created her first bespoke Handfasting Marriage Ceremony in 1998 and is an expert in traditional Irish, Brehon wedding rites.
She has devised and written hundreds of Weddings, Baby Namings and Vow Renewals together with couples and families and is committed to re-imagining and innovating meaningful and creative ways to mark life’s milestones and to celebrate people. She has spent over ten years training and working in theatre performance and production and has coached many celebrants. She has a great appreciation for involving the whole community and especially artists and musicians in ritual and the development of this collaborative process when giving meaning to ceremony.
She has both a reverence for our ancient traditions and an insight into the current trends of modern
couples and works with people on a daily basis from all across the globe, creating tailor made ceremonies. She brings to the course an understanding of ritual in the Irish context and can share a wealth of working knowledge from her experience as a ceremony writer and celebrant.