Maighread ("Daisy") Nic Mhaicin (1899-1983) Born Dungloe, Co Donegal, raised mainly in Ballymoney (Co Antrim) and Belfast. Became interested in Russian while studying for MA at the Sorbonne. Went to Russia in 1932 and worked as a translater. On a second visit in 1935 she married Patrick Breslin, who was born in London but whose father was from Glenties, Co Donegal;

Patrick had gone to Russia in 1928, was now a soviet citizen, and worked in the translation bureau and for Moscow News, Maighread returned to Ireland in 1938 for the birth of her daughter, but she was not allowed to return to Russia, nor was her husband allowed to leave; he died during the war, and they never met again.

She settled in Dublin where she taught privately and in 1943 she became the first Russian teacher in Trinity College Dublin (a part-time post). She retired in 1969 and died in 1983. She translated Chekhov, Turgenev and Pushkin into Irish.

Hope this small item may be of interest. Ciaran O Duibhin.