Dervla McTiernan was born in
County Cork, growing up initially in
Carrigaline and
Douglas before her father's work in the bank took her to
Dublin, aged six, and then
Limerick. She is one of a family of seven. McTiernan studied corporate law in
University College Galway and went on to become a solicitor, training in Dublin. She returned to County Galway, to
Oranmore, to build her legal practice, working in it for about twelve years. By then she was married to her husband Kenny, an engineer and they had a daughter, with a son on the way. Ireland hit a recession and the couple decided to move to Australia. She is now an Australian citizen. ==Australia and writing career==