▁the ▁Single ▁European ▁Act ▁and ▁the ▁Ma astr icht ▁Tre aty . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁and ▁education ▁Mac K ern an ▁was ▁born , ▁the ▁first ▁of ▁eight ▁children ▁to ▁surv ive , ▁in ▁a ▁small ▁house ▁in ▁Cla re ▁Street , ▁L imer ick . ▁During ▁the ▁last ▁days ▁of ▁World ▁War ▁II , ▁his ▁family ▁was ▁informed ▁that ▁one ▁of ▁Mac K ern ans ' ▁un cles ▁had ▁died , ▁one ▁of ▁three ▁who ▁were ▁serving ▁in ▁the ▁Royal ▁Air ▁Force , ▁an ▁event ▁he ▁was ▁to ▁frequently ▁recall ▁in ▁his ▁subsequent ▁career . ▁The ▁first ▁in ▁his ▁family ▁to ▁achieve ▁a ▁degree , ▁he ▁attended ▁C res cent ▁College ▁and ▁University ▁College , ▁Gal way ▁( U CG ) ▁from ▁which ▁he ▁graduated ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 2 ▁with ▁a ▁Bach elor ▁of ▁Arts ▁in ▁French ▁and ▁English ▁and ▁was ▁elected ▁Aud itor ▁( head ) ▁of ▁the ▁University ' s ▁Liter ary ▁& ▁Deb ating ▁Society ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 1 . ▁He ▁then ▁attended ▁the ▁Sor bon ne ▁and ▁the ▁Bibliothèque ▁nationale ▁de ▁France , ▁while ▁also ▁teaching ▁at ▁the ▁Ly c ée ▁Cond or c et , ▁ear ning ▁a ▁master ' s ▁degree ▁foc uss ing ▁on ▁the ▁works ▁of ▁Jean - Paul ▁S art re ▁and ▁becoming ▁fully ▁b iling ual ▁in ▁French ▁and ▁English ▁– ▁he ▁was ▁already ▁an ▁Irish ▁speaker . ▁While ▁a ▁student ▁at ▁U CG ▁and ▁the ▁Sor bon ne ▁he ▁met ▁fellow ▁student ▁C ait rí ona ▁G