Mary Breslin (née O’Hare), BSc (Mechanical Engineering) 1973 (died on 30 November 2005, aged 55)

Re-appointed Chairman of the Derry Port and Harbour Commissioners in 2003, Mary set up Total Engineering in 1991 having previously worked for DuPont as its first female engineer. She was also a board member of LEDU, InterTradeIreland, Vital Voices and the Western Education and Library Board. Widely acknowledged for her business leadership skills, Mary won the European Women Entrepreneur Award in 1998 and the Business Women’s Network International Women Entrepreneur Award in 1999.

As a student at Queen’s Mary Breslin was the first female to be awarded a Northern Ireland Training Council scholarship in Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering. At the time (late 60s/early 70s) there were 7 NITC scholarships in Mechanical, 7 in Electrical and 1 in Aeronautical Engineering.

Mary played an active role in her local community being one of the founders of the scouts in the area and a member of the Board of Governors of several schools. She was a reader and a member of the parish council in the Holy Family Church.

In 2003 she received the Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for her services to business and the community in the North West.

Mary is survived by her husband Patrick (who also attended Queen’s) and sons Kevin (MSc Applied Maths, 2005), John and Peter.

 

back to list

 

 

 

Top of Page