Kennedy was born in Dublin, to a notable legal family. She was the fourth child of solicitorPatrick J. Kennedy and his wife Delia. Her two brothers, John P. Kennedy and James Kennedy, were both solicitors, while John was also a District Justice and former Coroner for south Monaghan. Her father was a brother of the famous Wexford gaelic football duo, Sean and Gus O'Kennedy. Kennedy was brought up in Carrickmacross from 1918 and was educated in St Louis Convent. She trained as a nurse at St. Vincent's Hospital, Dublin, and practiced for 8 years from 1935, including service as an Army Nurse during the Emergency.
Legal career
Kennedy qualified as a solicitor in 1947, and practiced in her father's firm in Carrickmacross. In 1960, she was appointed Coroner for south Monaghan. She served as Coroner until she was appointed as the first female Justice to the District Court in 1964, when she was also appointed as Justice of the Metropolitan Children's Court. Her appearance in court was seen as something of a novelty at the time, and not just because she was female. She was also the first Justice to appear with their head uncovered and her court was crowded for days with people just attending to witness this. In 1967 she was appointed by the then Minister for Education, Donogh O'Malley to chair a committee to carry out a survey and report on the reformatory and industrial school systems. The report, which was published in 1970, was considered ground-breaking in many areas and came to be known as the Kennedy Report. The Report made recommendations about a number of matters, including the Magdalene laundries, in relation to which they were not acted upon. The report recommended the closure of a number of reformatories, including the latterly infamous reformatory at Daingean, County Offaly. In April 1970, Kennedy was appointed by TaoiseachJack Lynch as a member the Commission on the Status of Women. This commission recommended the introduction of legislation to effect equal pay and the removal of the marriage bar.
Kennedy is one of six notable Irishwomen, including Mary Robinson and Brenda Fricker, to feature in an Irish school book "Firsts For Irish Women - They Led the Way" from Poolbeg Press, as part of their "Heroes for Ireland" series.
