Margaret Mac Curtain facts for kids
Margaret Mac Curtain (born 1929, died 2020) was an amazing Irish woman. She was a Dominican sister, a historian who studied the past, a writer, and a teacher. She helped many people learn about Irish history, especially the history of women.
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About Margaret Mac Curtain
Her Early Life and Education
Margaret Mac Curtain was born in County Cork, Ireland. Her parents, Sean and Ann Mac Curtáin, raised her in Cork City.
She went to University College Cork (UCC) and earned her first degree in 1950. While there, she won a special award called the Peel Prize. She even had a chance to study with the famous writer J. R. R. Tolkien, but she chose to join the Dominican Order instead.
Becoming a Sister and Teacher
After joining the Dominican Order, Margaret became a nun. At first, she was known as Sister Benvenuta. Later, when rules changed, she was able to use her own name again.
She started teaching at Sion Hill, Blackrock. She held many important roles there, including being the Prioress of Sion Hill Convent from 1984 to 1989. A Prioress is like a leader for a group of nuns.
Her Work as a Historian
In 1964, Margaret earned her Ph.D. in history. This is a very high degree that shows deep knowledge in a subject. She then became a lecturer, or teacher, in the Irish History Department at University College Dublin (UCD). She taught there for many years, from 1964 to 1994.
She also taught at the School of Irish Studies in Dublin. Later, she was a professor at Boston College in the United States from 1992 to 1993. In 1993, she received a special award, the Eire Society of Boston Gold Medal, for her writings about the history of Irish women.
Helping the Community
Sister Mac Curtain was very active in helping her community. She was a founding principal and helped start the Senior College Ballyfermot. This college helps students continue their education after high school.
She also led the National Archives Advisory Council from 1997 to 2002. This council helps look after important historical documents and records for Ireland. She also helped with a report called Treoir 2000, which looked at how the Irish language was doing at the end of the 20th century.
Many students who studied at UCD, like Sinéad McCoole and Cathal Mac Coille, say that Dr. Mac Curtain greatly influenced their own work. She inspired them to learn more about history.
Selected Books by Margaret Mac Curtain
Margaret Mac Curtain wrote many important books about Irish history. Here are some of them:
- The Birth of Modern Ireland (1969)
- Tudor and Stuart Ireland (1972)
- Women and Irish Society: The Historical Dimension (1978)
- The Gill History of Ireland series (1980)
- Women in Early Modern Ireland (1992)
- From Dublin to New Orleans: Nora and Alice's Journey to America 1888 (1995)
- Grace Gifford Plunkett and Irish Freedom (2000)
- Ariadne's Threads: Writing Women into Irish History (2009)
