Maureen, the eldest of the O'Gara family was
born at Mín na bhFachrán in 1916. She played the fiddle as
a young girl, where growing up in the 1920s and 30s she was exposed
to the best of local traditional music through her father, Denis. Like
many of her generation she was forced to emigrate to the United Kingdom
in 1936 where she trained as a nurse. Maureen had a very distinguished
career, caring for the sick and wounded in various wars throughout
the twentieth century, including at Normandy during the D-Day landings
in 1944. In 1970 she was awarded the Royal Red Cross medal by Queen
Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace. Maureen retired from nursing the following
year.