About Us

About the Academy

Academy Motto

About the Director

St. Patrick's Day parade, Park Slope

Great Irish Fair, Coney Island

Many of the students have represented the Academy at various feisianna (competitions) over the summer and were quite successful. 

Fun is had by both children, teens and adults. Many of whom enjoy performing in many of our shows and in local, regional and national competitions. Members of our adult classes have also competed and won in many of the feisianna and are currently preparing to compete again in the Mid Atlantic Region championships where they have been victorious in the past.

Enjoy yourself!  It doesn't get any simpler.

Enjoying the dancing is the main thing I want my students to walk away with each week after class.

One very important message I try to get through is that when competing, even against others from their own school, the students never let winning get in the way of our friendships. I remind them that a win for our school is just that, and we all share in the victory.

I feel at times that it is easy to lose sight of what Irish dance is all about.  It is there to remind us of who we are and where we come from, to help us take pride in our Celtic heritage and to promote our culture to the world.

After that, everything else is secondary!

Maureen O'Malley-Byrnes

Maureen is the founder and Director of the O'Malley Irish Dance Academy, established in 1994. She instructs over 150 children and adults in 3 locations in Brooklyn and Queens . The focus of the school has always been to promote the Irish culture and foster in her dancers a sense of pride in themselves. She has trained dancers that compete at local, regional, national and world competitions. Additionally, her students can be found at over 60 events during the year, volunteering their time and talent to many worthwhile causes.

Maureen's students have performed all over the country, on television, at Ellis Island , City Hall, for the NY METS, the Brooklyn Cyclones and much more. However, Maureen feels their most important events are those that can bring happiness to others not as fortunate. Her dancers perform in countless schools, nursing homes, children's hospitals, convents, centers for children with special needs and military bases during the year. Maureen also has the school take part in many charitable fund-raisers annually. Every October, they participate in the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer and have raised over $10,000 toward finding a cure. The school performs annually for Charity's Angels, an organization developed to aide families who prematurely lose a parent, and the Great Irish Fair, which benefits the Catholic Schools of Brooklyn & Queens. The school is a proud sponsor of programs and youth sports teams in the parishes of Good Shepherd, Resurrection, St. Francis de Sales and St. Thomas More. Each year, the school is able to help support “ Camp Brooklyn ”, a program designed to send under privileged children to summer camp outside the city. Additionally, the school seeks to help their own dancers as well by being able to defray the cost of the children's costumes to the parents, provide 2 Full Year Irish Dance Scholarships annually and award annual $500 college scholarships to their graduating seniors.

Maureen is a graduate of Good Shepherd Grammar School , Bishop Kearney High School and Brooklyn College . She graduated cum laude with a BA in Economics and a minor in Business Management. She enjoyed a successful 7 year career with a major Wall Street firm, before leaving to start a family. Married in 1998 to John Byrnes, the couple now has 3 children: Katie, age 9, Jack, age 8 and Tommy, age 5. She is an active member of the Columbiettes Council # 126, the Good Shepherd Catholic Club and the Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians Div 19. Maureen serves her parish as a Minister of Holy Communion, an Elizabeth Minister, a writer for the parish bulletin and a member of the Home School Association.

Maureen was honored to be named one of the Top 100 Irish Americans and to serve as an aide to the Grand Marshall in the Brooklyn St. Patrick's Day parade. She is looking forward to serving as a Deputy Grand Marshall in this year's Queens County Parade. She has received Commendations from the Brooklyn Borough President, the Mayor of the City of New York and the Comptroller of the City of New York for her contributions to Irish culture. Last year, she was awarded the Community Service Award by the Circle of Hope Cancer Foundation. Maureen was the recipient of the Good Shepherd Service award for her commitments to her parish and the Cultural Excellence and Community Leadership award from the LAOH.

Maureen O'Malley-Byrnes, husband John,
and one of the Junior Ceili Teams

Noteworthy Accomplishments
Maureen O'Malley-Byrnes was selected by Irish American Magazine as one of the Top 100 Irish Americans! She received her award at a gala reception at NYC's Plaza Hotel on March 16! Maureen was also honored by NY State Sen. Marty Golden at his March 23 Irish Heritage Celebration for her outstanding service and commitment to community!

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