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Revision as of 19:45, 30 November 2021
Irish journalist
| Mary Maher | |
|---|---|
| Born | 9 November 1940 Chicago |
| Died | 30 November 2021 Dublin, Ireland |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Known for | feminist activism |
Mary Maher (9 November 1940 – 30 November 2021) was an American-born Irish trade unionist, feminist, and journalist. She was a founder of the Irish Women's Liberation Movement and the first women's editor at the Irish Times newspaper.
Biography
Maher was born in Chicago to parents from Killenaule, County Tipperary. She had two siblings, Jerome and Bonnie. Maher grew up in Rogers Park attending the local Sacred Heart School. Maher went on to get her diploma from Barat College in Lake Forest, Illinois.
Maher became a reporter for the Chicago Tribune on the society desk. Unfulfilled, Maher relocated to Ireland where she became a journalist working for the Irish Times in 1965, an employer she remained with for 36 years. Conscious of the changes and obstacles in Irish society at the time, Maher's pages covered topics such as corporal punishment, equal pay and housing slums. She was a founding member of the Irish Women's Liberation Movement.
Maher was one of a group including Maeve Donnellan, Nell McCafferty, Geraldine Kennedy, Gabrielle Williams, Renagh Holohan, Christina Murphy, Mary Cummins and Caroline Walsh. She made history by becoming the first woman staff member to return to work in the Irish Times after marriage as well as managing to be paid for maternity leave, another first. As a result Maher was also the first women to be a mother in the National Union of Journalists at the paper. Her connection with the union meant she was frequently the delegate to the Dublin Council of Trade Unions and attended the NUJ conferences. Maher held several senior positions within the union.
Maher retired as assistant chief subeditor in 2001. A long illness saw her cared for in a nursing home in Bray, County Wicklow. She died in hospital in Dublin November 2021.
Family history
During her time as a reporter Maher discovered a family secret, that her ancestor had possibly been one of the murderers of Patrick Henry Cronin. She wrote a book about the murders called The Devil's Card.
Bibliography
- The Devil’s Card (Dingle: Brandon; NY: St. Martin's 1992),
- If Only (Poolbeg 1997)
Sources
- ^ "Chicago Tribune: Chicago news, sports, weather, entertainment". chicagotribune.com.
- Mullally, Una. "We need bolshie women journalists as role models". The Irish Times.
- Unions, Irish Congress of Trade. "Equality Policy Papers » Equality » Congress". Irish Congress of Trade Unions.
- ^ Bowers, Shauna. "Tributes paid to pioneering journalist Mary Maher who has died aged 81". The Irish Times.
- "NUJ pays tribute to Mary Maher". www.nuj.org.uk.
- Ireland, Office of the President of. "Media Library News Releases". president.ie.