Mary Leebody

Mary Leebody was born in Portaferry, County Down, in 1847, the starting point for a life that would map the hidden plants of northern Ireland. She married Professor John Robinson Leebody around 1867 and moved to Derry, where she spent her most active years between 1893 and 1904 discovering rare orchids and encouraging other botanists. Her work added new records for Counties Antrim, Londonderry, and Donegal, including the American orchid Spiranthes romanzoffiana in 1893. She died in Derry on 19 September 1911, leaving behind a legacy of diligent fieldwork and botanical collaboration.