Local Faces: Cara Davy

YOUR HUMBLE correspondent here, likes to think himself a musical cove. There’s just one problem with this. I can’t sing to save my life. And – full disclosure – I always feel slightly jealous of those people who can, writes Ken Doyle.

In that spirit, it’s my pleasure to introduce Tallaght opera singer Cara Davy. Cara is, as we shall see, a true talent and an educator. And, I’m happy to say, she’s a Tallafornian to her boots.

Although she wasn’t educated here as she explains, “No, I went to Presentation College in Terenure.

‘That was just because my Granny lived just about next door to the school, so that’s where I had my lunch every day – it was handy for my Mam to pick me up after school on her way home from work.”

During these years, Cara got it into her head that she was going to teach as a career and nothing was going to stop her.

She may well have become a full-time opera singer were it not for a bad experience at a Conservatoire (a music school with notions) in Dublin. She shared with me some rather unpleasant details about the snootiness of the people she auditioned for.

They seemed to look down on the idea of a girl from Tallaght attending their precious little school.

This called for plan B be put into action, as Cara explains:

“By this stage, I was more determined than ever to be a music teacher, so I got a degree in Music, Theology and Education at Mater Dei which was run from St Patrick’s in town.”

Cara is too modest to tell you that she flew through the course, emerging four years later with a shiny degree – and she immediately set about sharing her gift with the world.

Obviously, I’m going to be immodest on Cara’s behalf.

Immediately following her four years of intensive training, Cara came out blinking into the light and before she knew it, she had accepted a one-year position at St Dominic’s School in Ballyfermot.

“I taught Music and Religion and I learned so much in that year it was incredible.”

“You could say that I’ve been very lucky in my career, because the next position I got was the one I still hold today, Music and Religion Teacher at Pobalscoil Neasáin in Baldoyle.

‘I love my job and next year is a big one for me as I will be Head of the First Years. You can safely say I’m a teacher for life now.”

With Cara absolutely thriving in her career, one might wonder how she has time to help out the community back at her Tallaght base.

Well, I can assure you that the work she does around the parish is as important to her as what she does in the day job.

Cara and St Dominic’s parish church go back a long way. She first started serving at Mass when she was thirteen and she’s been at the centre of things in the parish ever since.

Nowadays she’s Musical Director, and it’s at this point she makes sure to tell me about the wonderful work done by her colleague and friend Rachel Harte, “she runs the Junior Choir and she’s a true mentor and inspiration to me. She’s amazing.”

Then Cara joined the Folk Group which she can’t say enough good things about.

“Since the first time I walked through the door, they’ve been a fabulous, nurturing group of people.

‘I’m still singing and strumming with them on a Sunday morning and I urge anyone who can to come down.”

Some years ago, Cara got really interested in opera and, knowing she had the pipes for it, took and passed exams to take her opera singing to the next level. She got involved with Now and Then Production Company.

This led to, according to herself, a massive improvement in Cara’s singing under the tutelage of Áine Mulvey.

“I even got a chance to attend a symposium in Italy.

‘We sang in the piazza where we were and it was incredibly exciting.

‘I must mention the wonderful Fr Larry Collins who helped with the costs.”

“I also have my lovely St Dominic’s Vocal Ensemble.

‘My Grandad’s choir They’re brilliant craic and we do loads of things like the summer concert, nursing homes, carol services, anything really and we rehearse in St Dominic’s Church weekly.

“We also do an annual summer concert in Maelruain’s.

‘Canon William gives us the church and we do a bucket collection for the parish.

‘He is very good with always giving the parish hall and church to the Now and Then company for rehearsals, so it’s a little something to give back.”

Cara is a woman who is devoted to her Christian faith and it’s refreshing to meet someone who not only has true faith but knows the subject academically too. I can tell you, an hour in Cara’s company is an hour well spent.

But sorry fellas, she’s taken. She’s been stepping out with her beau  Stephen for last six years, and I think she likes him.

Cara’s dad passed on some years ago, but her mother Terry, sister Grace and brother Barry come in for great praise from Cara as does her beloved five-year-old niece Raven-Jean, whom Cara is teaching to sing.

So remember the name Raven-Jean – she’s bound to be heading straight for the top with a teacher like Cara.