Mary McPartlan was born in 1955 in
Drumkeeran,
County Leitrim. She founded folk duo Calypso in the 1970s. McPartlan was also the founder of both the
Galway singers club
An Riabhóg and theatre company
Skehana. She was also the administrator of Galway Youth Theatre. McPartlan worked as a lecturer for
University College, Galway (UCG; now the
University of Galway). She received a
Fulbright Scholarship to
Lehman College in the
City University of New York in 2013. She taught Creative Arts and Theatre. McPartlan also worked as an arts PR and consultant with her own company
Mac P. During the 1990s, McPartlan worked with
TG4 to develop the Traditional Irish Music awards,
Gradam Ceoil. She worked as a producer and director of musical projects including
TG4 music show
Flosc, the Arts in Action programme at
NUI Galway and the opening of Glór, the national Irish music centre in
Ennis,
County Clare. McPartlan toured with the
Druid Theatre's Seán Tyrell productions of
The Midnight Court. McPartlan was married to Paddy Noonan, with whom she had two daughters, Mairéad and Meabh. She was also stepmother to Niamh and David. She died on 6 April 2020 after a long cancer illness. ==References and sources==