MARY JOHNSON, who died in October 2011, was born in Lisburn, Co Antrim, in 1947, the first daughter and third child of Brian and Imelda Johnson. She studied Spanish, Irish and political studies at Queen’s University Belfast, qualifying as a teacher of modern languages, and was later awarded a higher diploma in Irish heritage management from University College Cork.
Through her interest in drama, Mary was introduced by her cousin Barbara Berkery to Patrick Galvin, then writer-in-residence at Belfast’s Lyric Theatre. Mary and Patrick married and had two children, daughter Gráinne and son Macdara. Their shared love of Spain led them to move there with their young family. Mary was in the process of opening a language academy to teach English and Spanish when a family tragedy brought them home to Lisburn, and later to Patrick’s home county of Cork in 1991.
Patrick, a member of Aosdána, wrote, published, gave readings, and conducted workshops. He died in May 2011. Up to the very end of her life, Mary was his advocate, supporter and critic.
Mary Johnson was a formidable woman in her own right: a gifted and inspiring teacher, she worked as a social worker in West Belfast in the late 1970s, and later as a translator with Trócaire in Dublin.
In Cork, Mary turned her inexhaustible organisational skills to a range of unique projects that have had a tremendous impact on the educational, cultural and artistic life of the city. In the early 1990s, she and Patrick co-founded the Munster Literature Centre (Tigh Litríochta). The centre became home to a number of significant literary events and productions, including the Éigse na gCuige literary festival; Southword Literary Journal, an important platform for new writing; the Frank O'Connor Festival of the Short Story; and the prestigious Frank O'Connor Annual International Short Story Award.
In the 1990s Mary worked as co-ordinator of the Community Arts group “Voices from the Tower”, based in the Knocknaheeny/Hollyhill area of Cork. The project generated three books and a number of plays. Mary’s love of Cork lore and humour also inspired her involvement as facilitator with the Ballyphehane Oral History Group.
In 2008 Mary became one of the founding members of Cork Community Television, where she again championed the importance of giving voice to those excluded from dominant media outlets.
In 2010 she was part of the group that brought One of Our Ainto Cork Arts Theatre for its Irish premiere. This one-woman autobiographical play, written and performed by Sandra Browne OBE, is an awareness-raising production by one of Scotland's foremost child protection experts.
Mary’s love of children and young people found many forms of expression. Not only was she a devoted mother to her children Gráinne and Macdara, but she also had great love for her extended family, and indeed, for the children of her many friends. In the years before her death, as well as caring for Patrick after his debilitating stroke, Mary worked at Youthreach Mallow, where she endeavoured to instill her love of Irish, Spanish and literature in her young students. It was with great regret that she realised she was not well enough to continue working with her students last year.
After family and friends, Mary’s greatest human passion was for the underdog. She would readily take up the gauntlet on behalf of those who needed a voice, and she was radical and uncompromising in her commitment to people who are socially excluded.
Such qualities did not always endear her to the powers that be, but to those who sought her support, Mary’s fighting spirit inspired them to stand strong in the face of adversity and injustice. She was replete with kindness, compassion and generosity, and she had a wicked sense of humour.
Mary Johnson is fondly remembered and deeply missed by her children Gráinne and Macdara, her brothers, sisters, nephews and nieces, colleagues, students and a wide circle of friends.