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Joseph O'Mara, the opera singer (see here and here),
Tenor opera singer,
"the Irish Caruso",
studied opera in Milan under Signor Moretti, 1889-91,
first sang in public when he got the part of
Ivanhoe
in production of the new opera
"Ivanhoe"
by Sullivan (of Gilbert and Sullivan)
at the new
"Royal English Opera House"
(now the Palace Theatre),
London,
"Ivanhoe" premiered 31 Jan 1891,
with alternating casts,
Joseph
began as Ivanhoe 4th Feb 1891,
his brother Stephen had business in London and
saw him perform as Ivanhoe 25 Feb 1891,
some sources say he
performed Ivanhoe there for 12 months until 1892,
other sources say "Ivanhoe" ended July 1891,
for 3 years he was chief tenor at
Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, nr Covent Garden,
was in pantomime, Jack and the Beanstalk,
in Drury Lane,
1894 first appearance as tenor in
Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
in Grand Opera,
chief tenor there also,
starred as
Lohengrin (the leading role, and leading Tenor role) in Wagner's
"Lohengrin",
with Sir Augustus Harris' Company, 1894-95,
sang in Grand Opera in Liverpool,
was in pantomime, Aladdin,
in the Prince of Wales, Liverpool,
listed as "musical artist", living London, at mar,
mar 24 June 1896,
Rathmines RC church, Co.Dublin
[GROI]
to Bride Power
[Bridget, born 1873,
only dau of Michael Power, "manager of bacon factory", of Waterford,
she was living Waterford at mar],
sang for Carl Rosa Opera Company,
a recording of him survives from 1901,
it was featured on Mo Cheol Thu,
RTE Radio 1,
Sun 25th Oct 1992,
performed Maritana
with the Moody-Manners Company
in London, 1902,
leading tenor with them,
starred as Don Jose
(the hero and the leading
Tenor role)
when
in 1903 the Moody-Manners Company
performed "Carmen"
at the Queen's Theatre,
Holbeck,
Leeds,
starred as
Romeo (the hero and the leading
Tenor role) in Charles Gounod's
"Romeo et Juliette",
starred as
Lieutenant Pinkerton (the villain and the leading
Tenor role) in
Puccini's
"Madame Butterfly",
1904 or later,
starred as
Tannhauser (the leading role, and leading Tenor role) in Wagner's
"Tannhauser",
other operas he sang in included
"Faust"
and
"The Jewess"
and
"Aida"
and
"Tosca",
granted Freedom of Limerick 1908,
think this was the time when he sang from the balcony of
Hartstonge House
to a huge crowd gathered on the street,
[Irish Independent, 30 Oct 1967]
quotes Michael Rynne (then a child),
who recalls how "Catherine Street - lit up from end to end by tar-barrels and torches
- was packed by hundreds of people who listened in dead silence
to that truly magnificent voice which required no microphone
to carry it down towards William Street.",
toured the US,
on his return founded O'Mara's Travelling Opera Company
(or the O'Mara Opera Company Ltd)
1912,
he was Managing Director and leading singer,
gave free concert in Limerick 1916,
his company performed Puccini's
"La Boheme"
and "Madame Butterfly"
at the Theatre Royal,
Leeds,
1918,
his company performed Verdi's
"Rigoletto"
at the Theatre Royal, Leeds,
1921,
see
here,
he sang in Australia,
he sponsored an annual "O'Mara Cup" at the
Feis Ceoil,
biography
in [Thom's Irish Who's Who, 1923]
lists him as living 6 Adelphi
Terrace, London, W.C.
(right in the heart,
see map),
he was living "Glenmore", 14 Ailesbury Park, off Merrion Rd, Dublin,
at dau's death 1925,
he sang on the first day
Irish radio
started, 1 Jan 1926,
he sang "The Bard of Armagh",
his brother Stephen (who died later that year)
ordered the finest new radio from America
so that a gathering of relatives and friends in Limerick could hear him,
(todo) in 1966, on the 40th anniversary of Irish radio,
stamps were issued,
and the first day cover booklet
mentions O'Mara singing,
retired Mar 1926 [obituary],
he
played "Lohengrin" again for his farewell performance when he retired,
his last public appearance was at concerts to
celebrate 700 years of Dominicans in Limerick, Mar 1927
[Riordan, 1992],
he died 5 Aug 1927, at his house, "Glenmore", 14 Ailesbury Park, Dublin,
age 63 yrs
[GROI],
oddly, he is simply listed as "Company Manager" on death cert,
see death notice,
Irish Times,
Saturday, August 6, 1927,
see obituary,
Irish Times,
Saturday, August 6, 1927,
Limerick city flag flew at half mast at the
town hall,
see
Irish Times,
Monday, August 8, 1927,
funeral Mon 8 Aug,
private funeral,
messages of sympathy received from
President W.T. Cosgrave
and
Bryan Cooper TD,
bur Glasnevin Cemetery,
see funeral report,
Irish Times,
Tuesday, August 9, 1927,
see obituary,
Irish Times,
Saturday, August 13, 1927,
p.4
and
p.3,
Bride listed as living 18 Ailesbury Rd,
Dublin, in grave record 1935,
she died 11 Sept 1935,
"Verdella", Church Rd, Greystones, Co.Wicklow, age 62 yrs
[GROI],
see death notice,
Irish Independent,
September 13, 1935,
funeral 13 Sept, bur Glasnevin Cemetery,
see funeral report,
Irish Independent,
Saturday, September 14, 1935,
had issue:
Joseph O'Mara, the opera singer, 1911.
See bmp version
from here.
Also in
Irish Times,
Saturday, August 6, 1927,
Grave of Joseph O'Mara, the opera singer, Glasnevin Cemetery, Dublin.
Photo 2010.
See full size
and other shot.
See close-up
and other shot.
On the grave is written a verse from
Psalm 13
referring to Joseph's singing:
"I will sing to the Lord who giveth me good things, yea,
I will sing to the name of the Lord, the Most High".
The original plaque to Joseph O'Mara on
Hartstonge House, Limerick.
This
was erected 26 Oct 1967.
See [Limerick Leader, 28 Oct 1967]
and [Irish Independent, 30 Oct 1967].
It has been replaced by the plaque below.
It says he lived here,
though this was his brother Stephen O'Mara's
house - when did Joseph live here?
See larger
and full size.

The present plaque to Joseph O'Mara on
Hartstonge House, Limerick.
Photo 2006.
See full size.