Máirín de Valéra, Lund, 1938
Item
Format
JPEG
Title
Máirín de Valéra, Lund, 1938
Depiction
A woman and a man standing, with a bust, a large plant and a tree trunk in the background
Description
Máirín de Valéra (1912-84) pictured with the phycologist Harald Kylin (1879-1949) in Lund University in 1938, standing in front of a bust of the famous Swedish biologist Carl Linnaeus (1707-78), with a fossilised Equisetum between them. At that time, she was a student at Lund University , enrolling there in 1937 in pursuit of her postgraduate studies, with the support of the NUI Travelling Studentship awarded to her in 1936. She worked under the direction of Kylin and published several papers on algal morphology and physiology.
Máirín de Valéra spent her entire academic career at UCG, as Assistant in Botany (1939-47), Lecturer in Botany (1947-62) and finally as the first Professor of Botany (1962-78). She was elected a member of the Royal Irish Academy (1956). She was a co-founder of the British Phycological Society in 1951 and was elected Vice-President of the Society (1969) and later made a life member (1977).
Despite being the only botanist in the University for many years and her consequent very heavy teaching load, involving the teaching of all courses in the plant sciences through both English and Irish, she continued to pursue her prime research interests in phycology and, through her publications, acquired international recognition for her unequalled knowledge of the marine algae of the west coast of Ireland. Her unique contribution to the University was recognised by the naming, in 2006, in her honour of the Carron Field Research Facility, established by the University in 1975 as a base for research in the Burren; a commemorative plaque was unveiled there
on that occasion by Minister of State Síle de Valera, a niece of hers. The location for the Finavarra marine research field station in Co. Clare on the shores of Galway Bay, established by the University with funding from Clare Co. Council, was also chosen by her.
Johann Harald Kylin was Professor of Botany in Lund University (1920-44) and a renowned phycologist, specialising in the marine algae of the west coast of Sweden.
Máirín de Valéra spent her entire academic career at UCG, as Assistant in Botany (1939-47), Lecturer in Botany (1947-62) and finally as the first Professor of Botany (1962-78). She was elected a member of the Royal Irish Academy (1956). She was a co-founder of the British Phycological Society in 1951 and was elected Vice-President of the Society (1969) and later made a life member (1977).
Despite being the only botanist in the University for many years and her consequent very heavy teaching load, involving the teaching of all courses in the plant sciences through both English and Irish, she continued to pursue her prime research interests in phycology and, through her publications, acquired international recognition for her unequalled knowledge of the marine algae of the west coast of Ireland. Her unique contribution to the University was recognised by the naming, in 2006, in her honour of the Carron Field Research Facility, established by the University in 1975 as a base for research in the Burren; a commemorative plaque was unveiled there
on that occasion by Minister of State Síle de Valera, a niece of hers. The location for the Finavarra marine research field station in Co. Clare on the shores of Galway Bay, established by the University with funding from Clare Co. Council, was also chosen by her.
Johann Harald Kylin was Professor of Botany in Lund University (1920-44) and a renowned phycologist, specialising in the marine algae of the west coast of Sweden.
People
Máirín de Valéra and Harald Kylin
References
Guiry, M. D., & Dixon, P. S. (1985). Máirín de Valéra (1912–1984). British Phycological Journal, 20(1), 81–84.
Cathy Hayes, 'De Valera, Máirín', https://doi.org/10.3318/dib.002473.v1
George F. Papenfuss, 'Kylin, Johann Harald', https://www.encyclopedia.com/science/dictionaries-thesauruses-pictures-and-press-releases/kylin-johann-harald
Contributor
Bibliographic Citation
M.D. Guiry, S. Mac Mathúna, 'Máirín de Valéra', Visual History Retired Staff Collection, University of Galway Digital Collections, Asset Id 14948, Archival Record Id VHRS
Spatial Coverage
Temporal Coverage
Period
1930s
Category
b&w
group
off-campus
indoors
group
off-campus
indoors
Subject
Language
English
Publisher
University of Galway Library
Rights
This image may be used for non-commercial purposes under CC BY-NC-SA see https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/