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Later Life and Death

Margaret Heavey's career as a university professor sees no promotion until the 1970s because she chooses, instead, to take care of her mother. But the opportunity comes in the following ten years when she is offered to hold the second highest position within the university where she works. Her presence in the college is of such importance that she decides to continue her lectures even after her official retirement, up to three days before her death, when she suddenly faints and is taken home, only to be brought by an ambulance to the then Regional Hospital. Here Margaret discovers that she is suffering from a bleeding ulcer and the operation that is performed fails to save her life.



Margaret Heavey dies on the 15th of February 1980, at the age of 72. Her last words, on her deathbed, were "go home and mind the children" referring to Vincent, her niece's husband. She is buried in a grave covered with green chippings, in the center of the New Cemetery, in Galway. Some of the books written by Margaret now belong to her niece, Ann, who decided to donate the other part to the Esker Monastery and NUI Galway.

Before dying Professor Margaret Heavey decided to bequeath a generous donation to the University of Galway, where she worked, in order to establish the Athenry Prizes, a foundation for the encouragement of classical studies (such as Greek, Latin and Classical Civilization) at Galway's University.

Every year the University College of Galway holds "The annual Margaret Heavey Memorial Lecture", also known as "Leacht Chuimhneacháin an Ollaimh Mairead Ni Eimligh" which commemorates the important contribution of Professor Heavey to teaching in Classics and to the university in general.

Professor Margaret Heavey also has a brass plaque, on the second seat from the front in the Athenry Church in Galway; it is dedicated to her parents and it reads as follows: "Orate Pro. Thomas. Et. Alicia. Heavey Athenriensibus Pro. Omnibusoue. Suis". The plaque was placed there by herself, and it is considered so representative that it truly serves as her own memorial too.