Cork actors are blazing a trail, I want to develop that, says Dominic

Cork actor Dominic MacHale is perhaps best known for his portrayal of the slightly unhinged yet lovable Garda Healy in Leeside comedy The Young Offenders.

He has spent many years working as a theatre actor, making appearances on screen, and teaching theatre workshops.

Now, he is combining his passion for acting and teaching by leaving his nine-to-five job to present an Acting for Camera course in Cork city.

MacHale says that this is something he has always wanted to do, and recent circumstances have provided him with the opportunity to take this exciting leap into a new venture.

“I’ve had a lot of change over the last year. I became a father in 2024, which has been a cause for reflection. I began to think, ‘I have a certain amount of time, what do I want to do with it?’ What am I passionate about?

“I always get a buzz out of teaching. I work for a role-play company that does educational workshops. I come away from those full of energy.

“I would do them every day if I could, but that isn’t possible, so I began to think, is there a way for me to generate my own classes, and what could I potentially offer people as a subject?”

MacHale wants to utilise the experiences he has learned throughout his career to help actors through his course.

“I have a lot to share with people, particularly because my journey has been unorthodox,” he said.

“I didn’t study acting. I studied science and had to learn the craft from the ground up myself.

“This is not theoretical in the traditional sense; much of it will be practical. It will include things like what it is like to be on a set, and what’s required of you as an actor, and what do casting directors look for in an actor?”

There are two courses- one for beginners and another for actors who want to get experience in front of the camera.

The classes will take place in the Civic Trust House, which MacHale says feels like a full circle moment because that is where he did his audition for The Young Offenders.

MacHale says that the comedy changed the trajectory of his career, as well as the film industry in Cork.

“Historically, people would have thought of screen work in Ireland as being Dublin-focused. Theatre you can do from anywhere in the country, but if you wanted to get on-camera work, Dublin was the place.

“The Young Offenders is a Cork-based production company shooting in Cork using Cork actors. It opened my eyes and so many others.

“Instead of travelling elsewhere to make your living and to produce art, we could now do it from our home city.”

MacHale points out that since the show began, there has been a wealth of young Cork actors gaining international attention.

“Obviously, Cillian Murphy is our best-known Cork actor, but look at how well Chris Walley and Alex Murphy are doing. Look at Éanna Hardwicke and Allison Oliver. This is a great time to be an actor from Cork.

“People are blazing trails, they’re putting Cork on the map, and there’s such a wealth of talent here.

“I’d love to be able to play a part in helping develop that talent and helping to give Cork actors a platform on which to push on with their careers.”

MacHale says he is eager to provide actors with the opportunity to gain on-camera experience like he was given by The Young Offenders film.

“They are actors who are willing to work hard, very enthusiastic about the profession, but not sure what the next steps are, and crying out for an opportunity to gain more experience on camera.

“I was lucky in that that’s what The Young Offenders provided for me. I’d never done a feature film or much camera work before the film came along.

“Not everybody is going to be that fortunate to land a successful feature film as one of their first jobs on camera, so hopefully my course will help to create a pathway to help people push forward.”

Although MacHale cannot say too much about the upcoming fifth season of The Young Offenders, he gave some hints as to what to expect from it.

“The film was a crime caper about two guys who came up with this great criminal plan and then tried to execute the plan while battling a maniacal bicycle Garda. This new season brings it back to a more crime-based show in an exciting way.”

MacHale says the show owes much of its success to people of Cork, who have embraced them while filming in locations across the city.

“The support is amazing. Shooting the movie, nobody knew who we were or what we were doing. It was just a couple of guys with a camera and a boom mic. Nobody was paying much attention to us.

“By season one, we’re filming on Paul Street, in front of what felt like a live audience. We’d ask for about 30 seconds of silence while we film the scene, and there wasn’t a whisper. That has continued throughout the five seasons.

“We were filming on Oliver Plunkett Street for the most recent one, with a big crowd of people watching. As soon as we started rolling, the crowd went quiet again.

“The people of Cork have been absolutely amazing in terms of their support and their co-operation. Hopefully, I can give something back to the next generation of screen actors.”

For more information on MacHale’s Acting for Camera classes, contact actingforcamerainfo@gmail.com