Amy aims high in world of law

Mother of four, Amy Sloane from Mullingar, graduated with a first class honours degree in law from Maynooth University last week, at the age of 34. She ranked first in her class after four years of juggling house, children and study as well as giving birth. She also worked part time for one of the law lecturers, doing research on the side.

“I’m tired even thinking about how she managed it all!” said her proud husband Richie.

Amy was shortlisted as a finalist for the Dye and Durham Irish Law Student of the Year award this year, and has won numerous awards within the university for academic achievements.

A native of Dublin, she moved with her parents Deirdre O’Kane and Stephen O’Connor to Moyvore at the end of primary school and attended Loreto College Mullingar.

When the Covid-19 pandemic hit in 2020, Amy applied for the Bachelor of Laws degree in Maynooth University. She surprised everyone by getting nearly all firsts each year, “to my never-ending surprise”, Amy modestly remarks.

She admits that it was a struggle to juggle everything, negotiating lectures with school runs, ballet, swimming lessons, horse riding, basketball, hockey, athletics, but “we just managed”.

In her third year, Amy became pregnant with their fourth baby, Theodore, and was hospitalised for most of the second semester. She admits that it would have been easier to defer the year, but instead she put the endless hours of bed rest into studying and assessments.

“The midwives in Holles Street were wonderful, even offering to print mammoth readings for me in the office!” she said.

“The Law School were also incredibly supportive, and facilitated my missing lectures with additional materials and assessments. Nothing was too much trouble.

The faculty in Maynooth are actually incredible – approachable, supportive, encouraging, interesting and interested,” Amy said.

She has now enrolled in a Master of Laws in Global Legal Studies in Maynooth, starting this month, and she intends sitting the King’s Inn entrance exam next year and hopefully, going on to train as a barrister.

Amy graduated last Thursday from Maynooth University to the delight of her proud husband, Richie, their four children, Oliver, Rupert, Cordelia and Theodore, and Deirdre and Stephen.