Sr. Dr. Maura Lynch (10 September 1938 – 9 December 2017) was an Irish doctor, a nun, and proponent of women's health.

Early life and education

Lynch was born in

Youghal Youghal ( ; ) is a seaside resort town in County Cork, Ireland. Located on the estuary of the River Blackwater, the town is a former military and economic centre. Located on the edge of a steep riverbank, the town has a long and narrow layout. ...

, County Cork, Ireland to Patrick and Jane Lynch on 10 September 1938. She was one of nine children, three girls and six boys. Her father worked for the Post Office and moved the family with him around the country. Her mother was a teacher. The family spoke Irish at home. Lynch entered the convent of the Medical Missionaries of Mary (MMM) just before her 18th birthday in

Clonmel Clonmel () is the county town and largest settlement of County Tipperary, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The town is noted in Irish history for its resistance to the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland, Cromwellian army which sacked the towns of Dro ...

, Co. Tipperary in 1956. She completed her education in the medical school at

University College, Dublin University College Dublin (commonly referred to as UCD) ( ga, Coláiste na hOllscoile, Baile Átha Cliath) is a public research university in Dublin, Ireland, and a collegiate university, member institution of the National University of Ireland ...

to become a doctor. Lynch graduated in the top three of her class. She went on to get a Diploma in Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the

Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) is a professional association based in London, United Kingdom. Its members, including people with and without medical degrees, work in the field of obstetrics and gynaecology, that is ...

in London in 1966. Once her training was complete she was sent to Angola in 1967 after a period in Lisbon, Portugal, to learn Portuguese. She studied in the Lisbon School of Tropical Medicine where she gained her Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Public Health.

Career

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, then known as Portuguese West Africa, Lynch worked as the medical director of the hospital at Chiulo. Lynch remained in the country during the

Angolan War of Independence The Angolan War of Independence (; 1961–1974), called in Angola the ("Armed Struggle of National Liberation"), began as an uprising against forced cultivation of cotton, and it became a multi-faction struggle for the control of Portugal ...

and the 1975

Angolan Civil War The Angolan Civil War ( pt, Guerra Civil Angolana) was a civil war in Angola, beginning in 1975 and continuing, with interludes, until 2002. The war immediately began after Angola became independent from Portugal in November 1975. The war was ...

. The hospital became a focal point for war wounded. Lynch completed her fellowship in surgery in 1985 and was then sent to Kitovu,

Uganda }), is a landlocked country in East Africa East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territor ...

in 1987 via Anua,

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

. In Nigeria Lynch learned about the repair of obstetrical

fistulae A fistula (plural: fistulas or fistulae ; from Latin ''fistula'', "tube, pipe") in anatomy is an abnormal connection between two hollow spaces (technically, two epithelialized surfaces), such as blood vessels, intestines, or other hollow or ...

which became a major focus of her work. She set up a medical centre in

Kitovu Hospital Kitovu Hospital is a hospital in Kitovu, a neighborhood within the city of Masaka, Masaka District, Central Uganda. It is a private, community hospital, serving the city of Masaka and surrounding communities. It runs a specialist program to re ...

for women affected by fistula and trained medical personnel on how to prevent and treat fistulae. The programme created by Lynch has received international recognition and awards. She was a founding member of the Association of Surgeons in Uganda. The government of Uganda granted her a Certificate of Residency for life. UCD awarded her an Honorary Fellowship of the School of Medicine in 2007. In 2013 she was given an honorary Fellowship in Obstetrics and Gynaecology from London College of Obstetric & Gynaecology and In 2015 she was awarded the Council of Europe's

North-South Prize ''North-South'' ( hy, Հյուսիս-Հարավ) or ''Four Buddies and the Bride'' is an Armenian comedy directed by Davit Babakhanyan and Vazgen Muradyan, starring Diana Malenko, Sona Shahgeldyan and David Tovmasyan. The film was produced by L ...

. A fall in her eightieth year ended Lynch's tenure in Kitovu. She had surgery and moved to another local convent to recover. However less than a month later on the planned date of her

golden jubilee A golden jubilee marks a 50th anniversary. It variously is applied to people, events, and nations. Bangladesh In Bangladesh, golden jubilee refers the 50th anniversary year of the separation from Pakistan and is called in Bengali ''"সু ...

celebration of her life in Africa, 9 December, she died in

Kampala Kampala (, ) is the capital and largest city of Uganda. The city proper has a population of 1,680,000 and is divided into the five political divisions of Kampala Central Division, Kawempe Division, Makindye Division, Nakawa Division, and Ruba ...

Hospital and was buried in

Masaka Masaka is a city in the Buganda Region of Uganda, west of Lake Victoria. The city is the headquarters of Masaka District. Location Masaka is approximately to the south-west of Kampala on the highway to Mbarara. The city is close to the Equator ...

, Uganda. She is remembered as a mentor, a feminist, and an advocate for women's rights. She is commemorated on the ''Women on Walls'' at Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lynch, Maura 1938 births 2017 deaths Irish gynaecologists Alumni of University College Dublin Christian medical missionaries 20th-century Irish nuns Healthcare in Uganda Irish Roman Catholic missionaries Roman Catholic missionaries in Angola Roman Catholic missionaries in Uganda Female Roman Catholic missionaries 21st-century Irish nuns