Who we are
Chicago Irish Singers is a group of Chicago area Irish singers whose mission is to preserve, promote, encourage, and share Irish traditional singing in all its forms throughout the Chicago area. The Club is modeled after the great singing clubs in Ireland. We host monthly singing circles, one at a North side location, and the other at a South side location, designed for the convenience of all singers in Chicago. Chicago Irish Singers Club is brand new, having just begun in October 2023.
What we do
We are open to all singing levels and all ages. We offer:
- Monthly singing sessions
- Group Irish singing classes
- Access to Irish singing instructors
- Workshops with All-Ireland champion singers
- Club member concerts/performances/radio
- Monthly newsletters
Our Leadership
Dr. Christine Lawless has been singing since childhood, and has had a career performing as cantor, soloist, and choir member for a number of Chicago-area churches, including St Francis Xavier in LaGrange, St Petronille’s in Glen Ellyn, and Mary Queen of Heaven in Elmhurst. She estimates she has performed at over 500 weddings, funerals, and special events. For the past eight years, she has performed as a member of the first soprano section of the Holy Name Cathedral Singers in Chicago. Dr Lawless began a life-long interest in singing Irish traditional songs as principal soloist in a series of Irish historical plays (Celtic Tracery) at St. Thomas More Church in the 1980s. She won her first Midwest Fleadh in 1988 in Ladies English Ballads and was a finalist in the All-Ireland singing competition that same year in Kilkenny Ireland. Most recently, she won the Midwest Fleadh in Irish Language Singing and in Lilting. She has been tutored by All-Ireland Champions Eimear Arkins, and Siobhan Malloy. Dr. Lawless created the Chicago Irish Singers Club in October of 2023, and serves as its Executive Director. She leads two monthly singing circles at Mystic Rogue pub on the northside, and Chicago Gaelic Park on the Southside. Dr. Lawless also directs the club performance team “the Chicago Irish Singers” who perform regularly at local Irish Fests, the Irish American Heritage Center (IAHC), Gaelic Park and local pubs. Dr. Lawless teaches traditional Irish Singing to both private and group students at IAHC and Gaelic Park. Several of her students qualified for the 2024 All-Ireland Fleadh in Wexford Ireland.
When not singing, Dr. Lawless has had a distinguished career as an academic cardiologist for over 10 years in the Loyola University Heart Failure and Heart Transplant programs, and for 10 years as team physician for the US Figure Skating World Teams. In 2011, Dr. Lawless created and founded the American College of Cardiology Sports and Exercise Cardiology Section, and served as its first co-chair from 2011-2014. In her spare time, Dr. Lawless enjoys Notre Dame football, hiking, traveling, and all things Irish.
Eugene O’Donoghue was born in St. Margaret’s north county, Dublin in 1958, immigrated to the US in 1979 and settled in Edgebrook on the Northwest side of Chicago. Married to Lee Anne and has three daughters, Maggie, Katie and Eileen and two grand children, Helen and Lucas. Eugene started singing at the age of three and sang with the St Margaret’s parish choir and graduated to singing in pubs and local parties before immigrating to the US. Here he played Gaelic football with St. Mell’s and McBride’s and would sing in sessions after the matches. He’s been singing with his local parish contemporary choir for the last 30 years. He also sang with the local traditional Irish band, the Celtic Groundhogs from 2004 to 2011 at venues like the IAHC and O’Brien’s Pub in Old Town. Eugene also sang with the Irish rock group In Spite of Ourselves for 10 years, until he retired in 2021. He joined the Chicago Irish Singers in November of 2023 under the guidance of Christine Lawless. Became Midwest Fleadh champion, male Traditional singing in English and best original song and went on to represent the US in Wexford, Ireland in August 2024.
Martha Murphy was raised around Irish music, singing and step dancing which were mandatory in her family. Her father played the flute and was a prolific player and singer and an early member of The Irish Musicians Association of Chicago. She step danced up until going to University of Illinois in Champaign where she studied theatre, dance and voice. She used her university studies to perform professionally as an actor, dancer and singer for many years as she also enjoyed being an Artist in Residence at Chicago and Illinois schools. She helped found a comedy troupe and Healthworks Theatre, and enjoyed playing leading roles in musicals. She had the honor of being part of Irish American Heritage Singers at IAHC in Chicago. Throughout all and in the present she sings at weddings and funerals as needed. She is very happy to be part of The Chicago Irish Singers and serves on it’s Board of Directors.
Betty Miller Kort found her voice in 1961, along with her parents and siblings, at a downtown production of the Sound of Music. The story of the Trapp Family was so powerful and Betty could relate as she is 5th oldest of 14 children. Betty has been married to Clayton Kort since 1976 and together they have raised 4 children. Betty has performed in various community choirs and serves as a cantor at St. John Fisher Parish since 1990. Fast forward to the 21st Century, Betty retired from Sam’s Club after 22 years in 2015 and threw herself into anything Irish. Ceili dances at Chicago Gaelic Park on Tuesday, the GP choir that sings at the monthly mass, and has been on and off stage with the Gaelic Park Players theater group since 2018. Betty has attended three zoom Irish Singing Classes since 2022 and is delighted to be participating in the Chicago Irish Singers Club since its inception in 2023.