8 Notable alumni of Royal Irish Academy of Music
Updated: May 31, 2026 EliteDegrees
Royal Irish Academy of Music is ranked #7,731 in the world and #30 in Ireland by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 8 notable alumni from Royal Irish Academy of Music sorted by their wiki pages popularity. The directory includes famous graduates and former students along with research and academic staff. Many individuals affiliated with Royal Irish Academy of Music won Nobel Prizes for Peace, in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, and Economics.
1. Llewellyn Cadwaladr
1857-1909 (aged 52)
opera singer
Llewellyn "Lyn" Cadwaladr was a Welsh operatic tenor who originated roles in, or starred in early tours of, comic operas and operettas of Gilbert and Sullivan, Solomon and Stephens, Robert Planquette and others in the Victorian era, often in America for the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company. He was touring as Ralph in H.M.S. Pinafore when he was asked to create...
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2. Donnacha Dennehy
1970-. (aged 56)
composer
university teacher
Donnacha Dennehy is an Irish composer and leader of the Crash Ensemble specializing in contemporary classical music. According to musicologist Bob Gilmore, Dennehy's "high profile of his compositions internationally, together with his work as artistic director of Dublin’s Crash Ensemble, has distinguished him as one of the best-known voices of his generation of Irish composers".
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3. Vincent O'Brien
1870-1948 (aged 78)
choir director
conductor
composer
Vincent O'Brien was an Irish organist, music teacher and composer. O'Brien was an important figure in early 20th-century Irish music. For some, he is mainly known as the first teacher of singers such as John McCormack, Margaret Burke-Sheridan and the writer James Joyce.
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4. Edith Best
1865-1950 (aged 85)
musician
Edith Best was an Irish musician and one of the founding members of the Feis Ceoil.
5. John Millington Synge
1871-1909 (aged 38)
librettist
prose writer
writer
playwright
poet
Edmund John Millington Synge, popularly known as J. M. Synge, was an Irish playwright, poet, writer, and collector of folklores. As a key figure of the Irish Literary Revival during the early 20th century, he is widely regarded by critics and scholars as one of the most influential dramatists of the Edwardian era, and by several of his peers, among...
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6. Karan Casey
1969-. (aged 57)
singer
pianist
Karan Casey is an Irish folk singer, and a former member of the Irish band Solas. She resides in County Cork, Ireland.
7. Jessie Buckley
1989-. (aged 37)
actor
singer
composer
Jessie Buckley is an Irish actress and singer. Her accolades include a Golden Globe Award, a BAFTA Award, in addition to nominations for two Academy Awards and three Actor Awards.
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8. Moya Brennan
1952-. (aged 74)
composer
record producer
guitarist
harpist
songwriter
Moya Brennan, also known as Máire Brennan, is an Irish folk singer, songwriter, harpist, and philanthropist. She is the elder sister of Enya. She began performing professionally in 1970 when her family formed the band Clannad. Brennan released her first solo album in 1992 called Máire, a successful venture. She has received a Grammy Award from five nominations and has...
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