Alumni Spotlights
Cailean Coffey - Publicist, MCD Promotions
From UCC Psychology to the PR spotlight!
Meet Cailean Coffey (BA ’19, MA ’20), who turned a passion for music journalism into a thriving career in music and events PR.
With a strong foundation in research, communication, and real-world experience gained during his time at UCC, Cailean now works behind the scenes on some of the biggest shows in the country.
Course(s) studied and year(s) of graduation
BA in Applied Psychology, 2019 & MA in Applied Psychology, 2020
How did your UCC degree help you?
It was invaluable. It really set my career in motion, maybe not in the direction I had always planned but in a direction that made sense for me. Both the BA and MA gave me real insight into working in psychology and helped me develop research and communication skills which I use daily. As well as that, the work experience offered on the MA taught me how the industry works and how psychologists work not only with individuals but with communities as a whole. Having the opportunity to experience that world gave me a greater appreciation of the effort and passion it take to work in that sector. The lecturers in the psychology department were also always very honest and hearing from them about the working world in that sphere was invaluable.
How did you get to where you are today?
Throughout college and after graduation, I was writing for a number of music blogs and websites in the UK and Ireland, like Goldenplec and CLASH. I graduated at the peak of COVID so getting a job to begin with was a bit tough but I found a position within the technology PR company ClearStory International. Whilst I was working there, I began working with music PR companies part-time, writing press releases and pitching to media. From ClearStory I moved to Special Olympics Ireland and took over as Regional Fundraising Co-ordinator for the Eastern Region. I worked across Dublin organising fundraisers and helped co-ordinate Dublin volunteers for their major national fundraising day. From there I moved to the PR department at MCD Productions.
What is a typical day at your job like?
When I come into work, the first thing I do is check my emails and see if any media have been in touch about interviews and to see what availability each artist has. I also spend a lot of time researching outlets to see if they’ve featured or written about certain artists or bands in the past, or others who may be comparable to the ones we have coming in. I also check ticket sales to see what impact each piece or activity is having on purchases, and from there I plan for shows that are being announced in the coming days to ensure we have everything ready to go for announcement.
What motivates you?
Getting to work across the campaigns of some of the biggest bands, artists and comedians in the world and being part of some of the biggest shows and events in the country on any given day. I also get to work with some of the biggest media outlets in the country and seeing the artists I work with featured and interviewed is also very gratifying.
Best memories from your time at UCC?
Most of my fondest memories of UCC are away from the lecture hall, during my time working with the likes of the Cancer Society and the UCC Express newspaper in particular, which gave me my start in music journalism interviewing both local and national bands. My experience with Cancer Soc gave me the motivation and idea to re-launch the journalism society on campus, which we did, and to push for a referendum on student media on campus. I met some amazing people in societies and the paper, a lot of whom I still keep in touch with today.
I also enjoyed some of the group work as part of the coursework. With the BA and MA in Applied Psych having relatively small year sizes, everyone got a chance to get to know each other working on those projects, and whilst some of them produced late nights they also helped form the basis for strong friendships.