Education

Gráinne O’Rourke

Assistant Lecturer in Early Childhood Care and Education & Social Care

Tel: 01 2207536

Gráinne O’Rourke is a lecturer in Early Childhood Care and Education and Social Care at TU Dublin, specialising in Drama, Art, Music and Creative Studies. Her academic and teaching practice is grounded in the use of the creative arts to support self-development, communication and self-awareness across early years and social care contexts.

Gráinne holds qualifications from Guildhall Trinity London, the Royal Irish Academy of Music, and the Leinster School of Music and Drama. She is a former President of the Speech and Drama Teachers of Ireland, a national organisation promoting drama education and continuous professional development for drama educators. She is also an examiner in Communications with the Royal Irish Academy of Music.

Deeply committed to community engagement, Gráinne actively fosters links between higher education and community-based arts initiatives. She curated the DoubleTAKE exhibition at TU Dublin’s Tallaght campus in partnership with Tallaght Community Arts, highlighting the inclusion of individuals with disabilities through artistic expression. She also collaborates with the Tallaght Rehabilitation Project to explore how drama and creative arts can support recovery and personal transformation, emphasising the message that rehabilitation is possible.

Gráinne plays a key role in connecting students with local organisations, facilitating their participation in community-based creative projects that reinforce the power of the arts in building relationships, resilience, and inclusion.