Maureen Donovan O'Sullivan

Who was Maureen Donovan O'Sullivan?

Mary Josephine Donovan O'Sullivan was Professor of History at Queens College, Galway now National University of Ireland, Galway from 1914 to 1957. She was born in Galway in 1887 and was educated at the Dominican College, Galway City, Republic of Ireland. In 1915 in Edinburgh she married Jeremiah O'Sullivan from County Tipperary who was serving in the Royal Engineers at the time.

Mary Josephine was editor of the Journal of the Galway Archaeological and Historical Society from November 1932 to January 1951.

Her main contribution to the history of Galway in the late medieval - early modern age was Old Galway, which examined the growth of the town, its culture and politics, its trade and its ruling families, The Tribes of Galway. Most of the first edition of the book was destroyed during The Blitz in London, and was only reprinted in 1959 in Galway.

From early in the 1900s she was an active member of the local women's Suffrage movement.

She was a sister of John Thomas Donovan, late of the Indian Civil Service.