The acting programme at Trinity College which has been credited with launching the career of Paul Mescal, has shown a record number of applicants for this year's course, with 600 students applying for the 16 place programme.
This was confirmed by the Lir Academy, with 600 applicants applying for the prestigious Bachelor in Acting course, a 10% increase from last year.
When selecting the 16 successful applicants, the academy holds auditions in Dublin or via Zoom in the first two rounds for overseas applicants.
Speaking on the numbers, a spokesperson for the Lir Academy said: “We did see a surge in numbers after the success of Normal People. This coincided with Brexit and the point at which we became the only English-speaking conservatoire in the EU".
“The continued success of Paul Mescal—along with numerous other graduates—has increased awareness of our programmes and supported the trend of growth in application numbers".
This also comes as the minutes from TCD Finance Committee meeting were released, where it was confirmed that Trinity had granted the Lir a two year loan repayment hiatus.
By the end of September 2023, The Lir owed €496,554 to the college. The academy also recorded an income of almost €3 million in 2023, and a modest surplus of €16,357.
The minutes also recorded that Lir CEO Gemma Bodinetz had noted the strong financial situation that the academy found itself in, which included a fee income for 2024/25 and further expected increases.
The committee also acknowledged that while the academy was performing well, reinvestment was limited by the need to prioritise repayment of the working capital loan and to meet huge rises in operational and utility costs.
They also pointed to the Lir's positive repayment history and strong financial management.
“The Lir Academy has an excellent financial performance record, and we recognise the act of faith that Trinity College Dublin has placed in us by agreeing to our request", Ms Bodinetz said. “The decision to request the hiatus was taken to allow for additional financial flexibility so that we can further realise our ambition to achieve significant strategic aims".
“Our intention is to invest the retained surpluses in staff salary increases, programme resources, and new revenue streams. This will leave us in a more robust position to resume payments in 2027".
Paul Mescal who is to also star the upcoming Sam Mendes movies about the Beatles, was awarded a Bachelor of Arts in Acting in 2017 from Trinity College's Lir Academy, before bursting onto the acting scene with his portrayal of Connell Waldron alongside Daisy Edgar-Jones in Normal People in 2020.
He also earned an Oscar nomination for his role in Aftersun in 2022.
Other noteworthy Lir alumni also include Éanna Hardwicke, Alison Oliver, Zara Devlin, Clinton Liberty, Frank Blake, Ella Lily Hyland, Danielle Galligan, Kwaku Fortune, Aggie O'Casey and Patrick Martins.
