 In April 2009, she was awarded a "Lord Mayor's Award" by Lord Mayor of Dublin Eibhlin Byrne "for her contribution to the lives of children and families in the city through her pioneering work".In September 2010, she was named as one of the "People of the Year" for "her pioneering, courageous and long-standing service to Irish society".In November 2012, she won the 'Irish Tatler Hall of Fame Award'

In addition to her judicial career, McGuinness has served on the Employment Equality Agency, Kilkenny Incest Investigation, the Forum for Peace and Reconciliation, the National Council of the Forum on End of Life in Ireland, and the Irish Universities Quality Board.