Maureen Hegarty (1 September 1921 14 January 2016), was an Irish local historian and president of the

Kilkenny Archaeological Society The Kilkenny Archaeological Society is an archaeological society in County Kilkenny, Ireland. History The Kilkenny Archaeological Society was founded in 1946.. An older society with the same name existed,. which developed into the Royal Society ...

Biography

Maureen Hegarty was born to Denis and Mary Hegarty (née Gleeson), schoolteachers in

Johnswell Johnswell () is a village in County Kilkenny, Ireland. On the village green is a powerful spring and well dedicated to John the Baptist which was traditionally the venue for a local "pattern" (religious fair) of note, while the moat north of t ...

village in 1921. She was educated in Johnswell and the Presentation convent secondary school before she graduated with an arts degree in English and History from

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 ...

. After teaching in Newport in Wales during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, Hegarty returned to Ireland to teach, first in her own secondary school and then becoming vice principal of the

Loreto Secondary School Loreto is Italian for laurel-wood. A town in Italy named Loreto holds an important Christian shrine, which lead to the spread of the name to many other countries. It may refer to: Places Argentina *Loreto, Santiago del Estero, Argentina * Loreto ...

in Kilkenny City. In 1952 Hegarty joined the Kilkenny Archaeological Society and was elected to the council in 1957. Hegarty was elected president of the society in 1988. She was a regular contributor to the ''

Old Kilkenny Review The Kilkenny Archaeological Society is an archaeological society in County Kilkenny, Ireland. History The Kilkenny Archaeological Society was founded in 1946.. An older society with the same name existed,. which developed into the Royal Society ...

'' and wrote a book on the foundation of the Presentation school in Kilkenny. Hegarty was involved in getting

Rothe House Rothe House is a late 16th-century merchant's townhouse complex located in the city of Kilkenny. The complex was built by John Rothe Fitz-Piers between 1594–1610 and is made up of three houses, three enclosed courtyards, and a large reconstr ...

, the historic city centre merchant's house, restored and set up to be used as the base of the Kilkenny Archaeological Society and a museum. Hegarty also founded the ''Annual Youth Heritage'' project which involved a competition for projects from school children. Hegarty was awarded an honorary master's degree from

NUI Maynooth The National University of Ireland, Maynooth (NUIM; ga, Ollscoil na hÉireann Mhá Nuad), commonly known as Maynooth University (MU), is a constituent university of the National University of Ireland in Maynooth, County Kildare, Ireland. It w ...

in 2007. She was also honoured during the Kilkenny People of the Year awards in 2013. She died in Kilkenny in 2016 and was buried in Foulkstown, County Kilkenny.

Bibliography

*Isabella and Catherine and the Presentation Sisters of Kilkenny, 1995

Articles in the Old Kilkenny Review

, OKR 1956, p. 14f

Clara Old Church and Freneystown Castle
OKR 1959, p. 55ff. *"Johnswell, Cantwell's Court, & Kilderry", OKR
1957
*

Clara Castle Clara Castle is a tower house (''caiseal'') located in County Kilkenny, Ireland. Location Clara Castle is located about east of Kilkenny City, near one of the headwaters of the Nore. History Clara Castle was built in the late 15th/early ...

, OKR 1959, p. 9f

*"Dr Richard Pococke, bishop - St Canice's and Lintown", OKR, 1963 * April 17, 1966 Opening of

, OKR 1967, p. 14ff. * Jerpoint Abbey, Jerpoint, OKR 1971, p. 4ff. * French Visit in honour of St. Fiacre, OKR 1971, p. 41ff. *

Kilfane Kilfane () is a combination of two townlands located outside of Thomastown in County Kilkenny, Ireland. It is made up of the townlands of Kilfane East and West with a total area of . Located in the barony of Gowran, Kilfane gives its name to th ...

, OKR 1974, p. 7ff. * Desart May 9, 1976, OKR 1977, p. 268ff. *

David Rothe David Rothe (1573 – 20 April 1650) was a Roman Catholic Bishop of Ossory. Life David Rothe was born in 1573 in High Street Kilkenny. His maternal grandmother, Ellen Butler, was first cousin to Pierce the Red, Eighth Earl of Ormond.Ronan, Myles ...

, OKR 1979, p. 4ff. * Medieval Stone Crucifixion at Johnswell, Co. Kilkenny, OKR 1983, p. 553ff. * Fr Joseph Broughall, OKR 1986, p. 295ff. * Dr

Richard Pococke Richard Pococke (19 November 1704 – 25 September 1765)''Notes and Queries'', p. 129. was an English-born churchman, inveterate traveller and travel writer. He was the Bishop of Ossory (1756–65) and Meath (1765), both dioceses of the Church ...

's Travels in Ireland, England and Wales, OKR 1987, p. 388ff. * Rothe House Youth Project 1988, OKR 1988, p. 1534ff. * Society Sees Paris Dressed Up for July, OKR 1989, p. 665ff. * Thomas Pierce Purcell- A Kilkenny Man to be Remembered, OKR 2005, p. 89ff. * Beginnings- The Early Years of The Kilkenny Archaeological Society, OKR 2008, p. 129ff * I Must Be Talking To My Friends -

Micheál Mac Liammóir Micheál Mac Liammóir (born Alfred Willmore; 25 October 1899 – 6 March 1978) was an actor, designer, dramatist, writer and impresario in 20th-century Ireland. Though born in London to an English family with no Irish connections, he emigrated ...

in Rothe House, OKR 2010, p. 63ff.

References and sources

Publication

*Jerpoint, A Glorious Heritage (19 page pamphlet about Jerpoint Abbey) {{DEFAULTSORT:Hegarty, Maureen 1921 births 2016 deaths 20th-century Irish historians 21st-century Irish historians Alumni of University College Dublin People from Kilkenny (city) Members of Kilkenny Archaeological Society Writers from County Kilkenny