User:Ronanou/sandbox

thumb|Margaret Heavey Margaret was born on Old Church Street in Athenry, County Galway, Ireland on the 15th September 1908. Her father, Thomas Heavey, made his trade making saddles and her mother came from a well-known family of undertakers, the Kirwans. Margaret was the oldest child out of her four other siblings - she had two brothers and two sisters. They lived on Old Church Street at the time, in a two-story thatched roof building beside a pub named Glynn's.

She attended the new Presentation school, that had been set up by the Presentation Sisters - who had come to Athenry the year Margaret was born. She completed her primary school years, having spent five years in the Secondary Top-two years in 7th class and three years in 8th class.

She attended University College Galway after she finished her primary education at 16 in the Presentation Sisters school. She studied Classics - and after getting her Bachelor's degree, she went on to complete her Master's degree in Classics at the age of 20, and also received a Higher Diploma in Education.

In the same year she completed her studies, she was awarded the NUI travelling student scholarship - and then studied abroad in Munich for 2 years. She returned from those studies and became a lecturer in Latin through Irish, and a few years later added Greek and Irish to her list of classes.

Heavey was a gifted linguist - a polyglot. She could speak, read and write English, Irish, German, French, Italian, Hebrew, Latin and Greek.

She went on to translate some books into Irish using that skill.

Heavey was a loyal friend, and was much loved by those who knew her and were close to her.