Biography
Rachel O'Connell
Rachel O’Connell is an Irish actor and singer. She was raised in Mayfield in Cork by her parents, Joan and Martin O’Connell. Along with her grandparents, they ignited in her a huge love for Irish music, history, and storytelling.
O’Connell currently plays Nancy Madigan on The Young Offenders on BBC. She was reprising her role in the Irish premiere of the one-woman show Iphigenia in Splott when Covid hit and all theaters shut their doors. Based on this setback, she decided on a whim to do something she had always wanted to do: apply to RADA. Three years later, she is now a RADA graduate and excited to see what the future holds.
In addition to acting, Rachel has a passion for writing. She co-wrote The Sunbeam Girls, a play based on the history of Cork’s old Sunbeam factory, which boasted a sold-out run at Cork Opera House.
O’Connell’s father Martin, who had a gift for words and inspired her love of writing poetry, passed away in 2013. She hopes to spend more time writing now that she’s no longer a student.
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Photo by Matthew Thompson.