President Mary McAlesse: Outstanding and Unique Service to the Irish People

VANCOUVER - Although not officially confirmed at press time, it is expected that the President of Ireland, Mary McAleese, will visit the west coast of Canada and the United States later this month.

MARY McALEESE President of Ireland

McAleese was inaugurated as the eighth President of Ireland on November 11, 1997, and is the first president to come from Northern Ireland. She is married to Dr. Martin McAleese, an accountant and dentist and they have three children, Emma (23) and twins Justin and SaraMai (20).

Last October the President stepped into her second seven-year term after she was the sole candidate when the deadline for nominations to the race for the Aras was reached. At that time, the Taoiseach said that McAleese had given “outstanding and unique service to the Irish people” during the past seven years. He said that her re-election was in the best interests of Ireland, and praised her “great charisma, strong intellect and exceptional skill.”

“The president has worked tirelessly and diligently to tell the story of Ireland’s economic and social transformation to the world, winning many new admirers, investors and friends for our country. She is greatly admired by the Irish people everywhere for her warm manner, her kindness, her shrewd legal mind and strength of personality.”

Born in the Ardoyne area of Belfast – a small Catholic enclave within Protestant dominated areas – in 1951, the President has won praise as a “bridge builder” between the two traditions in Ireland.

She has made many historic achievements during her Presidency, including being the first Irish president to visit Northern Ireland’s parliament buildings at Stormont in April 2000. During this visit, she was the guest of honour at a gala legal dinner organized jointly by the Law Society and the Institute of Professional Legal Studies at Queen’s University.

The eldest of nine children, President McAleese grew up in Northern Ireland through the violent times that have come to be known as “The Troubles.” Her family was one of many adversely affected by the conflict. She graduated in Law from the Queen's University of Belfast in 1973 and was called to the Northern Ireland Bar in 1974.

In 1975, she was appointed Reid Professor of Criminal Law, Criminology and Penology at Trinity College Dublin and in 1987, she returned to her Alma Mater, Queen's, to become Director of the Institute of Professional Legal Studies. In 1994, she became the first female Pro-Vice Chancellor of the Queen's University of Belfast.

President McAleese is an experienced broadcaster, having worked as a current affairs journalist and presenter in radio and television with Radio Telefís Éireann. She has a longstanding interest in many issues concerned with justice, equality, social inclusion, anti-sectarianism and reconciliation. The theme of her Presidency is “Building Bridges.”

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