• John McCormack (1884-1945) was born in Athlone.
• He was educated by the Marist Brothers and later in the Diocesan College in Sligo before moving to Dublin to sing in the Palestrina Choir in the St. Mary’s Pro-Cathedral.
• He won a gold medal in the competition for solo tenor in the Feis Ceoil of 1903.
• Between 1906 and 1914 he sang at various times in Milan and Naples and at the Royal Opera House in London.
• He made his New York debut in 1910 and moved there in 1914. He gained a  huge following in America but his decision to renounce British in favour of American citizenship in 1914 (during the First World War) led to such anger that he was unable to perform in London again until 1924.
• McCormack was also a devout Catholic and was awarded the title of Papal Count for his support of catholic charities. He sang at the Eucharist Congress in Dublin in 1932.
• He died in Dublin in 1945.

The collections can be consulted by the students and staff of UCD, and by external users, in the Special Collections Reading Room.

Find books in the collection:

• Go to the Library catalogue.
• Click on Advanced Search and select Author from the drop-down menu
• Insert McCormack in the search box
• Select Special Collections from the Collection drop-down menu.

Find information on John McCormick in the Dictionary of Irish Biography (UCD only).

Find information on John McCormick in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (UCD only).