Joseph O'Mara, the opera singer,
He was
educ
Crescent College,
Limerick. Left 1880.
At about age 18 (i.e. 1882), largely through influence of schoolfriends,
he thought he had a fancy for the sea.
His father said:
"Go ahead my boy; the sooner you go, the sooner you come back."
He
went to sea for 12 months.
He returned
"having seen as much as I wanted to in that time."
[Crescent College profile].
Fr. Paddy
in
P40/654
says Joseph "Travelled for a couple of years as apprentice in the mercantile marine.
Was rescued from this by Dad and sent by him to Milan."
He
sang
in St.Michael's Church
choir, Denmark St, Limerick (near his home).
Opera career begins:
He went to Italy to study opera.
He
studied opera in Milan
under Signor Moretti, 1889-1891.
For 3 years he was chief tenor at
Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, near Covent Garden.
He
was in pantomime, Jack and the Beanstalk,
in Drury Lane.
In
1894 he had his first appearance as tenor in
Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
in Grand Opera.
Chief tenor there also.
He
starred as
Lohengrin (the leading role, and leading Tenor role) in Wagner's
"Lohengrin",
with Sir Augustus Harris' Company, 1894-95.
He
sang in Grand Opera in Liverpool.
He
was in pantomime, Aladdin,
in the Prince of Wales, Liverpool.
He is
listed as "musical artist", living London, at mar.
Joseph toured
Britain, the US, Ireland.
He sang at the Hollis Street Theatre in Boston in Oct 1897.
He is not listed at his father's funeral in 1899.
He was probably abroad.
At one event he sang at in London,
he was introduced to the Prince of Wales.
He
sang for Carl Rosa Opera Company.
A recording of him survives from 1901.
He
performed Maritana
with the Moody-Manners Company
in London, 1902.
Leading tenor with them 1902-1908.
He
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.
He
starred as
Romeo (the hero and the leading
Tenor role) in Charles Gounod's
"Romeo et Juliette".
He
starred as
Lieutenant Pinkerton (the villain and the leading
Tenor role) in
Puccini's
"Madame Butterfly",
1904 or later.
He
starred as
Tannhauser (the leading role, and leading Tenor role) in Wagner's
"Tannhauser".
Sang in
"Faust"
in the old Limerick Theatre.
Other operas he sang in included
"Aida"
and
"Tosca".
Letter of July 1908
from Patricia O'Mara
on holiday in Kilkee, Co.Clare,
says: "Eileen, Nora, Aunt Bride, Uncle Joe and the others are staying at Cliff Cottage."
In around Nov 1908 he was singing in New York, to great acclaim.
See
entries
for him and his wife
in his brother Stephen O'Mara's address book
[P40/234].
He is simply "Joseph O'Mara, Broadway Theatre, New York".
Bride has a crossed out address of Glenbride House, Blomfield Rd, Maida Vale, London,
and then a later address (dated 1909) of
14 Randolph Crescent, Maida Vale, London.
In 1909 he joined the Thomas Beecham Company in Britain.
He sang with them at Covent Garden 1910.
His brother Stephen left Hartstonge House c.1909, definitely gone by 1910.
Plaque on Hartstonge House
says Joseph lived at Hartstonge House at one time, but this may be wrong.
Cannot find the family in Ireland in 1911 census.
O'Mara Opera Company, 1912:
He founded O'Mara's Travelling Opera Company
(or the O'Mara Opera Company Ltd)
1912.
He was Managing Director and leading singer.
He toured with them until 1926.
See poster
advertising The O'Mara Grand Opera in May 1913.
From here.
Original from NLI.
See poster
for him singing in
"The Jewess",
Theatre Royal, Limerick, 3 Feb 1915.
Posted here.
He gave a free concert in Limerick 1916.
See Drama and Variety
in [McMahon and Flynn, 1996].
See O'Mara Opera Company programme, Theatre Royal, Limerick, 28 Jan 1918.
Joseph himself is performing as the lead tenor, Rudolph, in
"La Boheme"
by Puccini.
His company performed "La Boheme"
and "Madame Butterfly"
at the Theatre Royal,
Leeds,
1918.
Lived 43 Raglan Rd, Pembroke, Dublin.
Listed there in
[Thom's, 1919, p.1851].
Was not there in
[Thom's, 1914, p.1829].
Living 43 Raglan Rd at dau Eileen's mar 1919.
His company performed Verdi's
"Rigoletto"
at the Theatre Royal, Leeds,
1921.
See
poster
formerly
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
and registration of death in 1926.
Start of Irish radio, 1926:
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.
He
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].
Joseph dies, 1927:
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 display
by Limerick Museum,
which includes notice of death from a Limerick newspaper.
See obituary
in
Irish Times,
Saturday, August 6, 1927.
Limerick city flag flew at half mast at the
town hall.
See item
(and header)
in
Irish Times,
Monday, August 8, 1927.
Funeral Mon 8 Aug 1927.
He was
bur Glasnevin Cemetery.
Private funeral.
Messages of sympathy received from
President W.T. Cosgrave
and
Bryan Cooper TD.
See funeral report
in
Irish Times,
Tuesday, August 9, 1927.
See obituary
in
Irish Times,
Saturday, August 13, 1927,
p.4
and
p.3.
The
O'Mara Opera Company continued productions until 1934.
Bride dies, 1935:
Bride is listed with address 18 Ailesbury Rd,
Dublin, in her grave record.
She died 11 Sept 1935,
"Verdella", Church Rd, Greystones, Co.Wicklow, age 62 yrs
[GROI].
See
death notice
in
Irish Independent,
September 13, 1935.
Funeral 13 Sept,
bur Glasnevin Cemetery.
See
funeral report
(and header)
in
Irish Independent,
Saturday, September 14, 1935.
Joseph and Bride
had issue:
Sheet music cover of Joseph O'Mara's Song Successes in the new production Peggy Machree (1908).
From here.
Original from here.
Left to Right:
Michael Judge,
Nora O'Mara,
Kate O'Mara,
unknown,
Eileen O'Mara (born 1897),
Dick Ray.
Kilkee, 1914.
See larger
and full size.
"If there is any Irish Man, or Woman, in New York who was born in Ireland or whose ancestors were Irish,
or who ever was in Ireland, that man or woman ought to go to Broadway Theatre, see and listen to Mr. O'Mara's presentation of
Patrick Bidwell's new romantic musical comedy 'Peggy Machree'".
- The New York Herald, around Nov 1908.
Quoted in [Potterton, 1970].
"There is an Irish Caruso
at the Broadway and his name is Joseph O'Mara."
- The New York Journal, around Nov 1908.
Quoted in [Potterton, 1970].
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