SNIPPET: Per the 2004 issue of the yearly "Leitrim Guardian" magazine -- "Maureen Mulvey O'LEARY had a dream. So did her father, Tom. Maureen's dream was to teach Irish dancing lessons for a living. Tom's dream was to go back to Ireland open up his own pub. Through hard work and determination they both made their dreams come true. Maureen, the eldest of Tom and Anne MULVEY's seven children grew up in Toronto. When she was young her family moved back to Leitrim where Tom had been born and raised and opened MULVEY's pub. Maureen became very involved in Comhaltas Eireann in her hometown, Drumshanbo. Although she was only a teenager she managed to attend and dance at all the meetings and sessions. She recalls - 'The sessions were held in a different pub each month and even though I was a publican's daughter I still went to whatever pub the session was in and often worked behind their counter to give them a hand if it got busy,' . In 1974 at age 19, Maureen returned to Toronto. 'I started teaching the dancing. I was on the committee of the Irish Centre branch, which is now the Sean Gorman branch. I am currently the Membership Chairperson of the branch. I am also on the Canadian Regional Board and am the Public Relations Officer. I love all that do with Comhaltas.' In 1984 Maureen married Desmond O'LEARY from Wexford. 'Once my daughter Colleen was born it helped me to settle here in Canada.' Before long I was giving workshops in Kingston and Guelph, then Montreal, Ottawa, Nova Scotia, San Francisco, Washington, etc.' People of every nationality attend Maureen's ceilis. The average age is mid-30s. 'Last year I gave a workshop back home at the Joe MOONEY Summer school (Drumshanbo). On asking what her greatest accomplishment was she answered, 'Colleen.' She, like her mother and grandmother before her is now an accomplished step dancer. By making her dream of becoming an Irish dancing instructor come true, Maureen (Mulvey) O'LEARY has been instrumental in creating Irish communities throughout North America where none had existed before. Maureen has not gone unrecognized in the Irish community in Toronto. In November 2002, she was nominated into the Canadian Comhaltas Hall of Fame in recognition of a lifetime of service and dedication to the Irish culture and community. She received an award from the Irish Canadian Aid and Cultural Society for the extensive work she has done in the community. In 1976, the Four Provinces Club recognized her outstanding contribution to their first Annual Gaelic Festival. The St. Patrick's Day Parade Association gave her an award for her participation as Chair of the Leitrim Association in the St. Patrick's Day Parade Society in Toronto. The City of Toronto recognized her participation in Irish dancing at an international Folk Festival."