Máire de Paor facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Máire de Paor
|
|
|---|---|
Máire de Paor
|
|
| Born |
Máire MacDermott
6 May 1925 Buncrana, County Donegal
|
| Died | 6 December 1994 (aged 69) |
Máire de Paor (born Máire MacDermott) was an important Irish historian and archaeologist. She was born on May 6, 1925, and passed away on December 6, 1994. Máire de Paor also worked as a researcher and presenter for RTÉ, which is Ireland's national TV and radio broadcaster.
Contents
Early Life and Learning
Máire MacDermott was born in Buncrana, County Donegal. Her parents were Eamonn MacDermott and Delia MacVeigh. She went to school at the Convent of Mercy in Buncrana.
After school, she went to University College Dublin (UCD). There, she earned two advanced degrees: a master's degree and a doctorate. Her studies focused on early Christian archaeology and ancient metalwork. This means she learned about very old Christian history and the metal objects people used long ago.
Máire de Paor's Career
Máire de Paor worked in the Archaeology Department at UCD from 1946 to 1958. In 1946, she married Liam de Paor. They had five children together: one daughter and four sons. Máire and Liam also worked together on several books and research projects.
Máire de Paor wrote many articles for important academic journals. These included the Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy and Archaeologia. Because of rules at the time about married women working, Máire had to leave her job at the university.
After leaving UCD, she became a lecturer. She traveled to many countries to give talks, including the United States, Canada, and countries in Europe. She also taught archaeology at Trinity College Dublin. In 1963, the de Paors spent a year in Nepal. They were working on a project for UNESCO, which is a big international group that helps with education and culture.
Working in Television
Máire de Paor started working for Radio Telefís Éireann (RTÉ) as a freelance researcher. This means she worked on different projects without being a full-time employee. In the 1970s, she was given a full-time job at RTÉ. She became a well-known researcher and presenter.
Involvement in Irish Culture
Máire de Paor was a member of many important groups in Ireland.
- In 1960, she was chosen to be a member of the Royal Irish Academy. This is a leading group for science and learning in Ireland.
- From 1973, she was a member of the Arts Council, which supports arts and culture in Ireland.
- She joined Conradh na Gaeilge in 1962. This group works to promote the Irish language.
- From 1968, she worked with Cumann Merriman. This is an Irish cultural group named after the poet Brian Merriman. Máire de Paor helped lead the group's schools and was chairperson for four years.
- In 1992, she was appointed to the board of Amharclann de hÍde, which is a theatre group.
To honor her work, University College Dublin created the Dr Máire de Paor Award. This award is given to the best PhD thesis in her field.
Personal Life
People who have written about Máire de Paor say she was very dedicated to her beliefs. She was described as a strong supporter of republican ideas, socialism, and women's rights.
