One of Galway's most famous women, Maureen Kenny of Kenny's bookshop on High Street, was honoured in Dublin this week when she was presented with an honorary degree from the National Council for Education awards.She was one of six recipients of the NCEA degrees at a ceremony at the Royal Hospital in Kilmainham on Tuesday, and she was in excellent company - among the other recipients were former president, Dr. Patrick Hillery, and deputy leader of the SDLP, Seamus Mallon.
Published May 4, 2000"It was a great honour to receive the honorary degree, and I was in great company on the day also. The day was very pleasant - I made the trip to Dublin with members of my family.
"I received an honorary degree from UCG some years ago, and that is framed and up on the wall at home, and this degree will also be framed and put alongside the other degree," Maureen Kenny said.
She was decked out in the customary gown and mortar board for the ceremony, as were the other recipients: Professor Don Mc Cloy of Queens University Belfast; former secretary general of ICTU, Donal Nevin: and former minister for education Dr. Patrick Lynch.
Maureen Kenny, who is in her 80's, founded the now world-famous Kennys Bookshop and Art Gallery with her late husband Desmond. The fluent Irish speaker still works in the shop, and is an expert on among other things, Irish literature.