Irish opera star Celine Byrne on Madama Butterfly and how having children young helped her master her craft

‘When you’re singing a song, you’re basically telling a story through your voice – I had the emotional maturity and the life skills to deliver that in a strong way’

Celine Byrne reckons she is now part of the furniture at Dublin’s Bórd Gáis Energy Theatre. The Kildare soprano is one of only two people to have played the striking venue at Grand Canal Dock every year since it opened in 2010. The other is singer Tommy Fleming.

“They should name a dressing room after me,” she jokes. “It really does feel like a home from home. I love it here. Even seeing those red poles lit up” – she nods in the direction of the striking plaza in front of the theatre – “feels special.”

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