Maureen Gaffney (born 1947) is an Irish clinical psychologist, broadcaster, writer and columnist.

Biography

Gaffney was born in 1947 in Midleton, County Cork. Educated there in St Mary's High School the Presentation Convent, she was the first in her family to go to university and she graduated with a BA in Psychology from the University College Cork. Gaffney got a scholarship in 1974 which allowed her to get her masters in Behavioural Sciences from the University of Chicago. She returned to Ireland to gain her PhD from Trinity College Dublin. Gaffney spent twenty years working for the Eastern Health Board before taking on writing columns and beginning a radio career. She was a regular guest on

The Gay Byrne Show ''The Gay Byrne Show'' (previously ''The Gay Byrne Hour'' and also known as ''The GB Show'') was an Irish radio programme, which ran from 1973 until 1998. The programme was presented by Gay Byrne, and aired Monday to Friday for two hours each d ...

and in recent years has appeared on both

The Marian Finucane Show ''The Marian Finucane Show'' was an Irish radio programme, presented by Marian Finucane. It aired Saturday - Sunday at 11:00 to 13:00. According to statistics from 2009, it was then the highest-rating weekend radio show in Ireland. When Finucane ...

and the Brendan O'Connor Show. She has held a number of academic positions. Gaffney has been the Director of the Doctoral Programme in Clinical Psychology in Trinity College Dublin and as Adjunct professor of Psychology and Society in University College Dublin. Gaffney has also held a number of government roles including being a member of the Board of the Health Service Executive and Executive Chairman of the National Economic and Social Forum. She has also been an advocate of socially progressive causes and has campaigned for a yes vote in the Irish divorce referendum and the marriage equality referendum. Gaffney is a member of the Women’s Leadership Board of Harvard Kennedy School. She is married to John Harris, lives in Dublin and has two children. In 2021, her book, ''Your One Wild and Precious Life'', won the RTÉ Audience Choice Award at the Irish Book Awards. She was a candidate in the

2022 Dublin University by-election A by-election was held for the Seanad Éireann Dublin University constituency in Ireland in March 2022. Ballot papers were issued on 25 February and polls closed at 11 a.m. on 30 March 2022. The election was won by former army officer and whistle ...

coming a close second to Dr Tom Clonan.

Bibliography

*Glass Slippers and Tough Bargains (1991) *The Way We Live Now (1996) * Flourishing (2011) *The Complete Life (2018) *Your One Wild and Precious Life (2019)

References and sources

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gaffney, Maureen 1947 births Living people 20th-century Irish women writers 21st-century Irish women writers Clinical psychologists 21st-century Irish politicians