04/09/2026
As we prepare for the next group of Gonzaghini who arrive in Italy on Sunday, we remember an important part of our past who passed earlier this month.
Margaret Mary Hanratty, known to all simply as Una, was the beloved librarian at Gonzaga in Florence from 1974 to 2009. Dubliner by birth, and Florentine by adoption, Una made friends wherever she went. Florentines considered her one of their own. She loved Florence and frequently went to concerts, talks at the British Library and art exhibitions.
Una’s intellectual curiosity guided her as she worked with the faculty to help to enrich the collection with frequent acquisitions. As a librarian, Una ran a tight ship- absolutely no food, drink or chatting whatsoever. Her stern shushes were legendary and no student, faculty member or administrator was spared her glare. That being said, she warm and welcoming and established lifelong relationships with literally thousands of students and colleagues. One member of the class of 1978-79 wrote, “Una seemed to smile with her eyes whenever you walked in the library. No matter how I felt, she always made me feel a little better about being far away from home.” It was a GiF tradition for students to end the semester by taking Una out for a Guinness at an Irish pub.
Everyone knew that Una was deeply religious but perhaps not that was a passionate fan of Ireland’s rugby team. She never missed a televised match. Una had a long and rich life and made dear friends from all over the world who will never forget her.
