[6] She learned Latin for two years at school which she later credited as being helpful for creating puzzles because it was useful to understand the meaning and construction of words.
[6] She later worked in the computer science department of the University of Manchester, staying there until her early retirement in 2005 and living in Chorlton.
[6] In retirement, Irvine volunteered at a primary school, where she undertook literacy work, and at a toddlers' group.
[5] In 2014, Irvine featured on Woman's Hour alongside John Halpern to talk about gender disparity in crossword setting.
[8] In 2016, she joined compilers Arachne and Puck to create a crossword to mark UN World Toilet Day under the joint pseudonym 'Bogus'.
[3] Irvine was active in Girlguiding, being a Brown Owl for a Brownie pack for almost 20 years and winning a Queen's Guide Award.