Statement on the death of Sr. Margaret Mac Curtain
Date: Tue 6th Oct, 2020 | 11:54
I am among the many, in so many parts of Irish society, who will have heard with great sadness of the death of Sr. Margaret Mac Curtain, Dominican sister, historian, educator, human rights advocate, feminist and writer.
There were so many aspects of Irish life, past and present, to which she made a unique and valuable contribution.
Dedicated to her religious vocation and inspired by the Second Vatican Council, Sr. Margaret Mac Curtain displayed her tremendous talent in so many areas, and she will be remembered not only for her academic achievements but also for her tireless campaigning for social justice.
We owe her a profound debt of gratitude for her advocacy on the abolition of corporal punishment in schools and for the rights of children with special educational needs, and indeed for her academic work in which she highlighted the oft neglected role of women in Irish history.
She brought not only great determination and energy to all her work but also great humour, compassion and humanity.
She will be missed by the countless people she inspired, but most acutely by her family and fellow members of the Dominican order. Sabina and I express our deepest condolences to all those whose lives she touched.