Born in Co. Antrim Maud McKee studied medicine in Trinity College Dublin, gaining an honours degree in surgery. She worked and trained in Northern Ireland before returning to Dublin and becoming a member of the Irish College of General Practitioners.

McKee became the first full-time doctor at the Well Woman Centre, providing family planning services to women when contraception was still illegal in Ireland. She promoted women’s reproductive rights and provided medical support to rape victims. Maud was a member of the board of the Dubin Rape Crisis Centre.

In 1985 she was among the first doctors to work at the new Sexual Assault Treatment Unit (SATU) at the Rotunda Hospital in Dublin. The staff pioneered the treatment of women suffering sexual violence. They did so medically and by giving testimony in the courts.

McKee joined other professtionals in lobbying to address child sexual abuse. In the late 1980s specialist units were established for children who were abused. This began with St Clare’s Unit at Temple Street Hospital and St Louise’s Unit at Our Lady’s Hospital in Crumlin.

Her experiences at SATU caused McKee to co-found the CARI (Children at Risk in Ireland) Foundation in 1989, serving on its board until 1996. CARI sought to provide much-needed therapy and counselling to children, families and other groups affected by child sexual abuse.

Maud worked at a GP in the Glasnevin Family Practice. In 1990, she began training as a psychotherapist and went on to run her own practice in Stoneybatter until illness prevented this. After a funeral service at St Mary’s Church, Crumlin, her remains were cremated at Mount Jerome Crematorium on 30 June 2014.