About
Meet our Director of Speech & Drama Athlone
Mary Whelan Fox School of Elocution, Speech and Drama opened in April 2006 due to a fast-growing demand from adults and parents for quality teaching and coaching in voice and elocution.
Active participation is what we strive for in our speech and drama classes and coaching sessions. From the moment they arrive, students of all ages are taught to explore, think, sense and experience through the medium of creative drama. Through our classes and coaching, we hope to create an environment where the individual child or adult grows and evolves through participation, working together as a team, listening, children learn by “doing,” being involved.
“I approach this task, to give of my best, and hopefully instil on the students my love of the theatre, drama and music for generations to come.”
When I hear, I forget
When I see, I remember
When I do, I understand
Director of the Mary Whelan Fox School of Elocution, Speech and Drama, Mary Whelan Fox is a voice coach, adjudicator, examiner, a sought-after public speaker, and a successful business woman.
She is passionate about voice, the importance of good communication skills and the spoken word. Mary has over 15 years of experience teaching Speech and Drama, running her own school and teaching students and clients privately on an individual basis or in small groups.
Mary also delivers tailor made programmes to primary, secondary and third-level education facilities.
Throughout her career, she has coached executives, business people, and university graduates – providing them with the skills and tools they need to successfully secure lucrative placements, or deliver keynote speeches in their work like or personal life. She specialises in presentation skills both personal and professional, job interview skills, public speaking, third level scholarship preparation and business communication. She is also a facilitator of Presentation Skills Training. She places a large emphasis on Classroom Based Assessments (CBA’s) and Transition Year Programme in Effective Communication.
The Junior School Programme provides engaging and highly interactive programmes in speech, diction, presentation skills and drama, for children and young people between the ages of 4 – 20.
‘Little People, Big Voices’, for ages four to ten, focuses on developing skills and talent through role play, fun and games.
‘Acting Up’ for senior students aged between eleven to twenty, continues the education using more sophisticated techniques and emphasis on public speaking, presentation and communication skills, offering a great advantage when it comes to presentation and communication within a school environment, and classroom-based assessment (CBA).
Classes take place in excellent secure facilities.
All of our Adult coaching is delivered one-to-one, and designed to solve our clients’ particular problem or challenge when it comes to speaking or communicating. We provide our clients with the tools and the skills they need to overcome that problem, and become a confident and competent speaker.
All staff are fully Garda Vetted, have up to date child protection certificates. Covid 19 policies, GDPR Policies and Procedures in place. I constantly upgrade my first aid qualifications and have public liability insurance
Licentiate Diploma (Teaching) Leinster School of Music and Drama, Griffith College Dublin
Associate Diploma Leinster School of Music and Drama, Griffith College Dublin
Qualified TEFL teacher.
Diploma in Coaching
Examiner of The Leinster School of Music and Drama
Professional Memberships
Speech and Drama Teachers of Ireland
Lenister School of Music and Drama
Irish Board of Speech and Drama
The Association for Drama in Education in Ireland
National Association for Youth Drama Ireland
Peforming Arts Educators of Ireland
Mary is a highly-skilled and engaging public speaker, and has delivered motivational speeches at conferences, meetings, and networking events, on these and other topics:
- Effective Speaking and Writing
- Slam the Slang – Rid your voice of slang and build a powerful vocabulary
- Public Speaking – making words work in speaking through good diction and colour
- Make your speaking and writing accurate, attractive and articulate.
Mary has been a member of Speech and Drama Teachers of Ireland since 2007 and was elected to the board in 2014. Previous roles held: Vice Chairperson, Membership and Secretary. Mary was made an honorary lifelong member this year after stepping down from the role of Chairperson which she held for three years.
The Speech and Drama Teachers of Ireland was founded in 1982 and is a professional membership organisation for qualified and trainee teachers of Speech and Drama. As a non-for-profit organisation, their aim is to encourage and promote the highest standards of teaching within the Speech and Drama field, to connect teachers of communication, performance and life skills and to act as a voice of the profession.
Meet the Qualified Team
She is passionate about drama, poetry and literature. Her aim is to give students the tools to express themselves and be inspired by the plays and poetry they read. She believes every student has an unique talent.
She studied Early years care & education in TUS Athlone. Qualifications include : Associate Diploma in Speech and Drama Education. Higher Diploma in Arts in Drama Education in Griffith College and graduated in 2022. Angela enjoys teaching and loves the experience she is gaining. Her aim is to bring the quiet reserved child out of their shell, and support them when its their turn to shine.
As one of Mary’s 1st speech and drama students, she is delighted to now be on the other side of things. Laura completed all her grades in Speech and Drama up to and including Certificate and Proficiency in Public Speaking.
She holds her Associate Diploma from Leinster School of Music and Drama. Laura had a passion for helping children to find their voice and grow their confidence with public speaking and performing.
Miriam studied at The Gaiety School of acting and has been involved in many play and musical productions in Dublin. Galway and Spain. Miriam is an actor, singer, performer and brings her expertise and passion to class each week. She runs her own music company Starling Vocal Company and Wedding Entertainment business.
Miriam specialises in presentation skills, acting to camera classes and audition workshops.
