Éanna ni Lamhna

Early life Ní Lamhna was born and reared in Stabannon, near Castlebellingham, County Louth. Her father, Peadar Ó Lamhna, was a teacher in the local national school, and taught her in 5th-7th class.

Career Ní Lamhna qualified in the biology area at UCD, including botany and microbiology and postgraduate studies in plant ecology. She pursued studies in the area of entomology, and also has a known interest in bats. In later years, she also received a Ph.D. Ní Lamhna went to work for State environmental agency An Foras Forbartha (now the EPA) and played a key role in ground-breaking species distribution mapping carried out in Ireland by that body in the 1970s and 1980s.

Public figure Ní Lamhna is one of the best-known environmental figures in Ireland, and is at number 96 in the "Influential 100" list voted in by a broad panel for Ireland's Village Magazine in early 2012; she was one of just three environmental figures on that list (with Frank Convery and Frank McDonald).

Personal life Ní Lamhna is married to John Harding, and they have two sons and one daughter. She has lived in Dublin since 1967. She is a fluent speaker of Irish, and does talks, broadcasts and school visits in Irish.