Singing for Health and Wellbeing
Passionate about the therapeutic and social benefits of singing, Dara uses her skills as a choir director, vocal coach and performer to build communities and support people living with chronic health conditions, such as Parkinsons, Long Covid, dementia, and older people in the community generally
Long Covid Singing Sessions
Online weekly Singing Sessions for people with Long Covid, in collaboration with the UK charity, Sing to Beat
An innovative cross-national pilot project, jointly facilitated by Dara MacMahon and Professor Grenville Hancox, MBE, with participants from the UK and Ireland.
Singing for Parkinsons
Extensive experience working with people with Parkinsons - group singing sessions with movement that can relieve common symptoms and strengthen voices.
Since 2014, Musical Director of choir for people with Parkinsons, family, carers and friends in Ashford, County Wicklow. The choir is a hub for the Parkinsons community in Wicklow, with weekly rehearsals, performances and social events.
Hosts weekly online singing sessions for members of the Parkinsons Association of Ireland
National Concert Hall
dementia programme
Music facilitator with Health & Harmony, an outreach healthcare programme run by the National Concert Hall in conjunction with the Alzheimer's Society of Ireland. Regularly performs for people living with dementia in nursing homes, day care centres and community settings.
Has also worked in St Josephs in Shankill, County Dublin, a specialised facility for people living with dementia, and facilitated regular music sessions for Wicklow Dementia Support Group.
Certificate in Social Prescribing
Obtained a Certificate in Social Prescribing in 2022 from Sligo Institute of Technology.
Dara is a committed proponent of social prescribing, which offers healthcare professionals a way to refer people to a range of non-clinical supports/activities in the community which can have significant benefits for their health and wellbeing. Dara believes that Singing on Prescription can play a significant part in the social prescribing services in Ireland.
Get Vocal choir for older people in Wicklow
Choir Director of singing groups for older people living in rural communities in County Wicklow, run and supported by Wicklow Arts Office.
Ideas Academy
Social Entrepreneurs Ireland
Awarded a place on the Ideas Academy of Social Entrepreneurs Ireland (2021), having successfully pitched an idea to set up a social enterprise focused on Singing for Health and Wellbeing.