I started dancing at a very young age after one of my consultants at Great Ormond Street hospital in London suggested to my parents it would be good physio for me for a rotation disability that I was born with. My father, John McGahan, who was from Mayo, along with my mother Doreen, also signed up four of my nine siblings and we all danced under Maguire O’Shea Academy. I stopped dancing myself at sixteen years old, when I started to help teach classes. Although competing wasn’t my passion, teaching certainly was.

I took my TCRG examination in 1996, at the same time as marrying my husband, Guy McCoig-Lees. I started the McGahan Lees Academy straight away, with Guy’s support. I was lucky enough to have some very loyal students from the beginning and became quite a successful school quickly.

Over the past 25 years I have been lucky to teach many loyal dancers who have now grown up to be trusted personal friends. I am especially proud that so many of my former dancers are now active TCRG/ADCRG’s with 6 of those currently teaching alongside me at McGL. One of which is my sister Debbie and also my senior ladies World Champion, Cecily Charlton. In 2014 a friend of mine Marion Flanagan also joined our Academy and in 2021 we were joined by Fiona Mackey. I now am lucky enough to be teaching alongside some of the very best in the world and my closest friends. We all work together to help our dancers enjoy and develop into the best dancers they can be. Read more

Debbie started dancing at the age of four with the Maguire O’Shea Academy as a hobby as her older brother and sisters were already attending classes. Debbie went on to become a top 10 medal holder for the World, British Nationals, Great Britain, All Ireland and American National Championships both as a solo and ceili dancer. At 20 years old Debbie was offered a place in both Lord of the Dance and Riverdance the show. She then went on to tour most of Europe and Asia with Riverdance the show with the Liffey Company until she had her eldest son in 2002. Debbie feels so privileged to be a dance teacher at MCGL and loves nothing more than seeing new dancers fulfil their true potential and dreams.

Debbie teaches Irish dance classes at our Billericay class.

Marion was born in Oxford of Irish parents. She was introduced to Irish dancing at the age of four and danced for the Anne Flood School of Irish Dancing in Oxford. She later went on to dance for the McDonald Academy and competed at the World Championships from the age of 15 until she retired from dancing competitively to start teaching.

Marion has been teaching Irish dance in Oxford for 24 years and is also a qualified adjudicator; she has recently judged such competitions as the World Championships, the All Irelands and various regional qualifying competitions. Her pupils have achieved titles at competitions all over the world, including the North American Nationals, Great Britains, British Nationals and European Championships, as well as winning World Medals and placing in the top ten at both the World Championships and All Irelands.

Along with Frances, Marion has also recently qualified as a Grade Examiner. Only experienced adjudicators are eligible to take this exam, so to have two of our teachers pass is a very prestigious achievement!

Izzy started her Irish dancing career aged 9, after a family holiday to Ireland where she was inspired by watching dancers ad-lib with a traditional Irish folk band. Back in Essex, she quickly joined McGahan Lees and was taught by Frances from day one. Her achievements include becoming Southern England regional champion three times, placing in the top five at the Worlds and All Irelands for two years in a row and gaining a total of seven world medals across her career.

Izzy has always enjoyed working with children and started helping out in classes at the age of 16. She qualified as a TCRG in Limerick, 2013, and teaches alongside her career as a postdoctoral researcher in child and adolescent mental health.

Izzy teaches Irish dancing in Balham.

Siobhán started dancing at the age of 4, following a trip to visit family in Ireland.  During her dancing career Siobhán achieved numerous consecutive World Medals, as well as winning the North American National Championships and placing 2nd at the British National Championships.

Whilst at university, Siobhán joined the Carey Academy in Birmingham where she found a passion for Ceili and Figure dancing, alongside her competitive career as a solo dancer. Siobhán competed in both mixed and girls’ teams and was fortunate enough to add several top 3 World Championship placings for both Ceili and Figure to her list of achievements.

Siobhán obtained her TCRG qualification in June 2014 and has since become a registered member of RCCEA.  During her teaching career she has been privileged to not only work with our dancers in the UK but has been fortunate to work with our McGahan Lees Europe contingent for over 4 years, sharing her knowledge and passion for Irish dance with our dancers In Czech Republic and Poland.

Amy learned her love of Irish dance at the age of 5 after catching a glimpse of Michael Flatley’s show, Feet of Flames live in Hyde Park a very long time ago now!  She joined the McGahan-Lees Irish Dance Academy when she turned 10.  During her early competing days Amy learned the true love of Irish dance and thoroughly enjoyed the team spirit that is instilled in to the classes through Frances’ passion and own love of the sport.  Amy has so many fond memories of the fun competition of St Patrick’s Day, teaming up and touring around Essex, Kent and London to perform for crowds of people celebrating Irish tradition and raising money for future events, being able to travel and attend local, national and international competitions with friends from your class and being able to do so by being involved in great fundraising activities such as bag packs, bootcamps and bootsales – to name a few!

Fiona started dancing at the age of four with the Maguire O’Shea Academy.  She won the Southern England Regional Oireachtas three times and went on to become a top 10 medal holder in the World, British Nationals, Great Britain and All Ireland Championships.

Fiona passed her TCRG in 2001 and teaches in Finchley and Winchmore Hill, North London.   From a young age, she knew she wanted to teach, to pass on her passion for Irish dance to the next generation of dancers.  She hopes that all students will love Irish dancing, form life long friendships and keep fit whilst doing do.

Niall started dancing at age 5, following in the footsteps of his older sister, Siobhan, who also teaches at the McGahan Lees academy.  Having joined McGahan Lees at the age of 14, Niall’s competative career had an accolade of achievements. Niall won 8 Major Titles including the Great Britains, the British Nationals and the All Scotlands. He also won 6 Regional Oireachtas Titles and five Top 5 world podium placings as well as numerous world medals.

After retiring from his competitive dance career in 2018, Niall completed all 12 CLRG grade examinations and went on to obtain his TCRG qualification in Dublin in April 2022

Niall loves working with the next generation of McGL, passing on his experiences both on and off of the stage.

Ashleigh began dancing when she was 4 years old in Auckland New Zealand after watching a video of the Riverdance Eurovision performance.

She trained with schools in NZ and the USA before moving to the UK in 2015 and joining McGahan Lees. Her achievements include becoming New Zealand National Champion three times and placing at the North American Nationals and World Championships.

Ashleigh discovered her love of performing outside of the competitive world of Irish Dance when she joined her first professional show in 2010.