'I am so grateful I get to sing and dance every day as part of my degree'

TELL us a little bit about yourself:

My name is Julia Cahill and I am a 20-year-old musical theatre student at MTU Cork School of Music. My hometown is Portlaoise, Co. Laois, and I attended Scoil Chríost Rí Portlaoise.

I’ve loved singing and dancing my whole life and am so grateful that I get to do that every day now as part of my degree.

My goal for the future is to perform and to be able to have a career in musical theatre.

I love traveling and discovering different ways of living life, so I can’t wait to explore more of the world while hopefully doing what I love the most.

What is your ideal way to spend a Friday night?

You can’t beat a good Friday night out on the town, but there’s a lot to be said for going home to see my family and catching up with each other over a takeaway.

Lie ins or up with the lark.. which is it for you?

I love a good lie in, but during the college week I find that an early start allows me to be more productive throughout the day.

Does work creep into your weekend at all?

Yes, definitely. Actually it’s rare that I would ever get a weekend without doing some sort of college work. I always have some assignments to work on or some weekly journals to catch up on. 

As well as that I try to spend some time in the studio going over my practical work, learning new routines and songs, or trying to better my performance skills.

If money was no object where would you head to on a weekend city break? And who would you bring with you?

It would probably have to be Paris. It’s just one of those places that you have to visit at least once in your lifetime, and I’ve never been there before. I’d definitely bring my boyfriend, Victor, as Paris is the city of Love and whatnot… but I would also love to bring my three housemates, classmates and best friends; Paul, Katie-Anne and Cillian. It would definitely be a chaotic trip, but wherever they go, fun follows and memories are made.

Closer to home, is there some place you like to head to recharge the batteries?

The Rock of Dunamaise is a beautiful spot near my home that has gorgeous views over county Laois. Watching the sunset from the ruins of an old castle whilst catching up with a friend is the ultimate form of relaxation. I also love going down to the skatepark with my rollerblades on a nice, clear evening.

Do you like to catch up with family/friends at the weekend?

I love catching up with my family/friends at the weekend. My brother always has some new song or piece of music to show me, and my sister is always ready to fill me in on some GAA game that she played during the week. 

It’s always good to see my friends from home too, and the more time we spend away from each other the more rewarding it is to hangout together again.

Do you get to indulge any hobbies? Even as a spectator?

Up until recently I’ve been playing Gaelic football with Portlaoise GAA, but the physical demands of my course mean that I can’t commit to playing at that level anymore. That being said, GAA will always be a huge part of my life and I will definitely be supporting as many games as I can. Other than that, in my free time I love to read, write and listen/play music that has nothing got to do with college. I also love to travel, and whenever we get enough time off of college I like to go away whenever I can.

Entertain or be entertained? If it’s the latter do you have a signature dish?

Definitely entertain. If not I’m in the wrong degree.

We have so many places to eat out in Cork - where are your go to spots for coffee/ lunch/ special meal?

Mmm there’s too many to name. Boojum is a go-to for something tasty and filling, and Bean & Leaf is perfect for a coffee catch-up. Loving Salads is really great for a healthy, nutritious and inexpensive lunch. Recently I’ve been loving Soba Asian Street Food – their shredded chili chicken is amazing.

Sunday night comes around too fast.. how do you normally spend it?

Ideally, my Sunday night is spent planning for the week ahead; sorting out my meals, cleaning the house, washing clothes etc. It’s also nice to catch up with my housemates after some of us go home for the weekend. However, I’d be lying if I didn’t say that Sunday nights are often spent catching up on college work that I was supposed to do over the weekend and frantically rushing to meet a 12 am deadline.

What time does your alarm clock go off on Monday morning?

7.45am.

What are you up to at the moment?

Julia and students from MTU Cork School of Music will come together with LUXe (Landscape Theatre and Professional Spectacle) for this year’s Cork St Patrick’s Day Parade. Rehearsals have been ongoing over the last few weeks with renowned Cork choreographer Stephen O’Regan, with students immersing themselves in exciting dance routines, while others are coming to grips with learning to cycle on specially created, larger than life bespoke tricycles. With the involvement of nearly 50 students and in conjunction with LUXe, this year’s procession promises to be the most ambitious yet.

The Cork St Patrick’s Day Parade will begin at 1pm on Thursday March 17. See www.corkstpatricksdayparade.ie