Sr Margaret Mac Curtain OP (17 May 1929 – 5 October 2020) RIP

It is with great sadness that we have received the news of the passing of our cherished colleague and steadfast IASIL member, Margaret Mac Curtain.

A Dominican nun and a pioneering historian, Dr Mac Curtain was also a relentless activist for social justice and human rights, a ground-breaking educator and a scholar with a life-long dedication “to write women into mainstream history”, to use her own words.

Sr Margaret’s life-long achievements are indeed well captured in the messages of condolence from President Higgins and in the Irish Times obituary (both linked below)

President Higgins’ Tribute: https://president.ie/en/media-library/news-releases/statement-on-the-death-of-sr-margaret-mac-curtain

Irish Times Obituary:  https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/people/margaret-maccurtain-obituary-pioneering-historian-and-campaigner-1.4373446).

Anyone who had met Dr Mac Curtain will have been struck by her extreme generosity, unassuming nature, and the ability to listen to what you had to say, all of which went along with her keen intellect and astute judgement.

The pleasure she took in the company of her friends in IASIL is apparent in the photograph from the 2015 conference at York. She shall always be remembered with great fondness.

Ondrej Pilny
on behalf of IASIL