Her father was a naval doctor lost at sea during World War I; her mother worked for the Dublin Industrial Development Association.
She met her future husband Jack Lynch, a player on both the Cork senior hurling and football teams, in the early 1940s.
Jack Lynch later served as a government minister throughout the 1950s, before rising to the position of Fianna Fáil leader and Taoiseach in 1966.
From that moment on, Máirín Lynch became a highly recognised and respected member in the public eye.
She was ever-present at her husband's side and was a trusted confidante and steady influence on him, particularly during the Arms Crisis.