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Denis J. Maginni (1846 -1915). Professor of Dancing. Born in Dublin on the 27th of September in 1846, Denis James Maginn was the youngest boy in a family of eleven children. His parents Denis Maginn and Catherine Boulger, married in 1834.

Early Years and Childhood.

The family lived in Dr. Steevens Hospital Dublin where Denis’s father worked. A registered car owner at that time, Denis’s father also leased out land and stables at Basin lane. In 1852 when Denis was just six years old his father died. The family continued to live at Dr. Steevens hospital until 1856, when Denis’s mother remarried a Mr. John Meredith (hospital porter). Sometime afterward, the family moved over to the north side of the city settling down at number 33 Eccles Street.

Marriage and Working Life.

The next record for Denis James Maginn is in 1872 where he is listed as a law clerk and is resident at 23 Cumberland street. On the 1st of July of that year he marries Ms Mary Anne Healy at St. Michan’s Church in Dublin. Her family were in the tailoring business. By 1876 he is officially appointed as collector of contributions for the Mater Hospital and is now living at 13 Eden Quay. In 1883 Denis’s occupation is described as ‘Tailor’, on the baptism cert of one of his children. This may have been due to Mary Anne Healy’s extended family and their involvement in the tailoring business. The couple had nine children in total, two of whom died at a very young age, the first at nine months and the second at three years old. Unfortunately tragedy and loss continued to persist within the family throughout later years with the death of the couple’s four adult children. This was mainly due to contagious disease and other physical complications.

The Dancing Teacher.

By 1886, now living at 109 Lower Gardiner street, Denis begins to advertise himself as a dancing instructor. Ballroom dancing and deportment had become the fashion of the day in Dublin. The Season Balls, held in Dublin Castle were in much demand by the wealthy and society hopefuls. Ballroom dancing was big business and had many willing teachers. Denis had the interest, skills and an eccentric personality to become an excellent teacher. So in order to make his name sound more exotic he changed it to ‘Maginni’ adding an extra ‘i’. Subsequently he began advertising his tuition services as ‘Signor Maginni’. In 1887, the ‘Signor, was replaced by ‘Professor’ and he was now living at 28 North Great Georges Street were he advertised ‘fashionable drawing room dances’. Thom’s Directory lists Maginni as a ‘Professor of Music’ in 1888. And by 1894/95 he advertises himself as ‘the original certificated teacher’. He is now residing at number 32 North Great Georges Street.

Maginni and Leases

In mid 1895 a Mr. William Butler Garland of Lower Castle Yard, as executor and trustee of Mr. John Mercer assigned the leases of nos. 28 and 32 North Great Georges Street to Mr. Denis J Maginni. Both of the leases were for 900 hundred years. Maginni later sold the lease of no 28 in March of 1898 to a Mr. Charles Conaty for the sum of eighteen pounds per annum, this lease being for 700 hundred years.