Mary Dorothea Heron

Mary Dorothea Heron
Born	c.1897 Downpatrick
Died	1960

Mary Dorothea Heron (c. 1897–1960), was the first woman to be admitted to the Roll of Solicitors in Ireland.^[1]

Biography[]

Mary Dorothea Heron was born in Downpatrick, Co. Down. Her father, James Heron, was the county surveyor and unusually, her mother was a university graduate.^[2][3] Heron attended Victoria College and graduated from Queen's University Belfast with a bachelor of Arts in classics followed by law (B.A., LLB). She became indentured to her uncle Thomas Heron of Belfast, on 7 February 1920. Because of the partition of Ireland which took place on 1 October 1921 Heron practiced in the North but she was one of the last to qualify to practice on both sides of the Irish border. In January 1923 Heron came second in her Final Examination and joined the roll of solicitors on the 17 April 1923. Though she worked in her uncle's office until 1946, Heron never took out a practicing certificate, which is why Helena Early is counted as the first woman to practice as a solicitor. It was common for non court attending solicitors not to have the certificate.^[1][4][5] Heron died on the 9 October 1960.^[1]

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