Dónal Kearney
Dónal comes from Warrenpoint, Northern Ireland.
With musicians in his family for generations, Dónal grew up singing in English and Irish. He played GAA for his schools, club and county. To pass the time on long car journeys, he and his brothers would work out 4-part harmonies in the backseat. He studied classical flute and tread the boards of the local drama group, beginning in the late 1990s. He has enjoyed diverse professional experience in legal practice, international diplomacy, project management, as well as international performance and music education work.
After studying Law, Dónal's career started off as an international human rights researcher.
Graduating in Law from the University of Cambridge in 2011 (Gonville & Caius, 2007), Dónal later attained a Distinction from the Irish Centre of Human Rights. He went on to work at the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Geneva, Switzerland, representing the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders at the Human Rights Council (2014). Dónal has worked in non-governmental organisations and charities in the UK and Ireland; most recently the Dublin-based human rights organisation, Front Line Defenders.
He has since internationally worked as a professional musician, music teacher and singing tutor.
Dónal is a highly-esteemed teacher with one of Ireland's most unique educational portfolios. He has worked with musicians of all ages across Ireland and the UK, and his experience with ANÚNA's international Education programme includes tours to Canada 2013, Japan 2014, the Netherlands 2014, China 2015, and USA 2015. He featured on two ANÚNA albums (Illuminations 2014 & Revelation 2015), and has performed onstage in Beijing's National Centre for Performing Arts, Shanghai Conservatoire of Music, Tokyo's MAIHAMA Amphitheatre and Orchard Hall, Rotterdam's De Doelen, London's King's Place, and Dublin's O2 Arena at The Point.
Dónal co-founded up Fingal Academy of Music in 2016 with the aim of offering the highest quality in musical education to students in North County Dublin. He coaches with Ulster Youth Training Choir and National Youth Boys' Choir of Great Britain, and has trained as a Community Music Leader with Musicians Without Borders, an international organisation that uses the power of music to bridge divides, connect communities, and heal the wounds of war. He also runs VOCALiSM, a creative advocacy platform that helps empower people through use of the voice.
His various musical projects include travelling music production Tourist Walk, Irish-American group Bosca, folk/soul band TRÚ and original collaborative project, weavers.
With musicians in his family for generations, Dónal grew up singing in English and Irish. He played GAA for his schools, club and county. To pass the time on long car journeys, he and his brothers would work out 4-part harmonies in the backseat. He studied classical flute and tread the boards of the local drama group, beginning in the late 1990s. He has enjoyed diverse professional experience in legal practice, international diplomacy, project management, as well as international performance and music education work.
After studying Law, Dónal's career started off as an international human rights researcher.
Graduating in Law from the University of Cambridge in 2011 (Gonville & Caius, 2007), Dónal later attained a Distinction from the Irish Centre of Human Rights. He went on to work at the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Geneva, Switzerland, representing the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders at the Human Rights Council (2014). Dónal has worked in non-governmental organisations and charities in the UK and Ireland; most recently the Dublin-based human rights organisation, Front Line Defenders.
He has since internationally worked as a professional musician, music teacher and singing tutor.
Dónal is a highly-esteemed teacher with one of Ireland's most unique educational portfolios. He has worked with musicians of all ages across Ireland and the UK, and his experience with ANÚNA's international Education programme includes tours to Canada 2013, Japan 2014, the Netherlands 2014, China 2015, and USA 2015. He featured on two ANÚNA albums (Illuminations 2014 & Revelation 2015), and has performed onstage in Beijing's National Centre for Performing Arts, Shanghai Conservatoire of Music, Tokyo's MAIHAMA Amphitheatre and Orchard Hall, Rotterdam's De Doelen, London's King's Place, and Dublin's O2 Arena at The Point.
Dónal co-founded up Fingal Academy of Music in 2016 with the aim of offering the highest quality in musical education to students in North County Dublin. He coaches with Ulster Youth Training Choir and National Youth Boys' Choir of Great Britain, and has trained as a Community Music Leader with Musicians Without Borders, an international organisation that uses the power of music to bridge divides, connect communities, and heal the wounds of war. He also runs VOCALiSM, a creative advocacy platform that helps empower people through use of the voice.
His various musical projects include travelling music production Tourist Walk, Irish-American group Bosca, folk/soul band TRÚ and original collaborative project, weavers.