The family had many doctors in it including four of her father's siblings - Pearl Dunlevy was an epidemiologist working on eradicating TB.

She went on to teacher training college in Carysfort in Dublin and started work in the Mount Anville National school in Kilmacud.

Dunlevy studied archaeology in University College Dublin by night under Rúaidhrí de Valera and followed the BA with an MA in Irish medieval combs.

Dunlevy returned to the National Museum of Ireland (NMI) and worked on the exhibitions of glass, ceramics and textiles.

During 1982 and 1983 Dunlevy was a monthly contributor of articles to the Irish Times to encourage people to visit the museum.

Dunlevy was also responsible for the creation of a Dublin city eighteenth century townhouse, furnished and created to show how people lived.

[1][2] She returned to her position in the NMI in 1996 where she was part of creating a new museum of decorative arts at Collins Barracks which also opened in 1997.

[1][2] As an authority on historical Irish dress, Dunlevy published multiple books and histories on the topic.

She was a member and president of the Donegal Historical Society as well as founding chairman, in 1975, of the Federation for Ulster Local Studies.