Ellen M. Prendergast was born at Killure near Paulstown, County Kilkenny as one of a pair of twin girls, her sister was named Catherine.
She was a boarder there and it was here that Helen Roe (1895–1988), Laois county librarian, inspired her about archaeology with lessons on local history.
[1] In 1938 Prendergast took up a post as Technical Assistant at the National Museum of Ireland, and attended University College Dublin where she completed a BA in 1943, and in 1947 an MA, in Celtic Archaeology.
[2] In addition to her involvement in history, Prendergast was known as a feminist and trade unionist, and a supporter of the Irish language.
[3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11] Ellen Prendergast continued to write and publish on archaeology and history until shortly before her death on 10 May 1999.