Mary McAleese facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mary McAleese
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McAleese in 2007
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| 8th President of Ireland | |
| In office 11 November 1997 – 10 November 2011 |
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| Taoiseach | |
| Preceded by | Mary Robinson |
| Succeeded by | Michael D. Higgins |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Mary Patricia Leneghan
27 June 1951 Belfast, Northern Ireland |
| Political party | Independent (since 1997) |
| Other political affiliations |
Fianna Fáil (before 1997) |
| Spouse |
Martin McAleese
(m. 1976) |
| Children | 3 |
| Alma mater |
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| Profession | |
| Signature |  |
Mary Patricia McAleese (born 27 June 1951) is an Irish lawyer, academic, author, and former politician. She served as the eighth president of Ireland from November 1997 to November 2011.
Mary McAleese was first elected president in 1997. She followed Mary Robinson, becoming the second female president of Ireland. She was also the first woman in the world to become president after another woman. In 2004, she was re-elected for a second term without anyone running against her.
Born in Ardoyne, north Belfast, she was the first president of Ireland to come from Northern Ireland. McAleese studied law at Queen's University Belfast. She became a professor of Criminal Law at Trinity College Dublin in 1975. Later, she returned to Queen's University and became its first female pro-vice-chancellor. She also worked as a barrister (a type of lawyer) and a journalist for RTÉ, Ireland's national broadcaster.
During her time as president, McAleese focused on issues like justice, social equality, and bringing people together. Her main goal was "Building Bridges." This meant trying to connect with all communities, especially in Northern Ireland. She even celebrated the Twelfth of July, an important day for many Protestants, at her official residence. She also took part in a Church of Ireland service, which showed her commitment to unity. Mary McAleese was a very popular president, and her time in office is seen as very successful.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Mary Patricia Leneghan was born in Ardoyne, north Belfast. Her parents were Paddy Leneghan and Claire McManus. She grew up in a mostly Protestant area, even though she was Catholic. Her family had to leave their home when the Troubles, a period of conflict in Northern Ireland, began.
She went to St Dominic's Grammar School for Girls, a Catholic school in Belfast. Mary then studied law at Queen's University Belfast, graduating in 1973. She became a lawyer in Northern Ireland in 1974 and later in the Republic of Ireland.
In 1976, she married Martin McAleese, who was an accountant and dentist. He often helped her with her projects when she was president. They have three children: Emma, born in 1982, who became an engineer and a dentist; and twins, Justin and SaraMai, born in 1985. Justin is an accountant, and SaraMai studied biochemistry. Justin has spoken publicly about being gay.
Early Career and Public Service
After working as a lawyer in Belfast for a year, Mary McAleese became a professor of Criminal Law at Trinity College Dublin in 1975. She took over this role from Mary Robinson, who would also later become president.
In the same decade, she helped start the Campaign for Homosexual Law Reform, working as a legal advisor to help achieve equal rights. She also worked as a journalist and presenter for RTÉ. She believed it was important to hear all sides of a story, even from groups like the Provisional IRA, though she was critical of them. She returned to her professorship in 1981 but continued to work part-time for RTÉ. In 1987, she went back to Queen's University to lead the Institute of Professional Legal Studies.
Mary McAleese has always been involved in bringing different religious groups together and fighting against division. She helped lead a group that studied sectarianism (division based on religion) in Ireland. She also created a radio series for BBC Radio Ulster called "The Protestant Mind," which encouraged people in Northern Ireland to understand each other better. Before becoming president, she was also a director for Channel 4 Television and Northern Ireland Electricity.
She is a member of the Council of Women World Leaders. This group brings together women who are or have been presidents and prime ministers. They work together on important issues for women and fair development around the world.
Presidency (1997–2011)
First Term: Building Bridges (1997–2004)
In 1997, Mary McAleese won the nomination from the Fianna Fáil party to run for president. She then won the 1997 Irish presidential election against other candidates, including Mary Banotti. On 11 November 1997, she became the eighth President of Ireland.
Her main goal as president was "building bridges." As the first president born in Northern Ireland, she visited the region often. She was generally welcomed by both communities there. She also admired Queen Elizabeth II and worked to improve relations between Ireland and the UK. In 1998, she said she would celebrate both Saint Patrick's Day and the Twelfth of July, showing respect for both Catholic and Protestant traditions.
She faced some criticism from certain Catholic leaders when she took communion in a Church of Ireland cathedral in Dublin in 1997. However, most Irish people approved of her action, seeing it as an act of reconciliation.
Second Term: Continued Unity (2004–2011)
Mary McAleese's first term ended in 2004. She decided to run for a second term in the 2004 Irish presidential election. Because she was so popular, no other candidate ran against her. She was declared elected on 1 October 2004 and began her second term on 11 November 2004.
In 2005, after visiting the Auschwitz concentration camp, she made comments about how some Protestant children in Northern Ireland were taught to dislike Catholics. This caused some upset among unionist politicians, and she later apologised, saying her comments were not balanced.
She gave speeches at universities in the United States, including Villanova University and the University of Notre Dame. She also attended important events like the funeral of Pope John Paul II and the inauguration of Pope Benedict XVI.
In 2008, she visited Hollywood to promote the Irish film and television industry. In 2009, Forbes magazine named her one of the hundred most powerful women in the world.
She made official visits to London, New York City, and China in 2010. In New York, she spoke about the 2008–2011 Irish banking crisis and global hunger. She also visited Russia, meeting with President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev, and called for better relations between Europe and Russia.
A major highlight of her presidency was inviting Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom to make a state visit to Ireland in May 2011. This was the first state visit by a British monarch since Ireland became independent. The visit was widely seen as a historic success for peace and reconciliation.
Mary McAleese left office on 10 November 2011. She was succeeded by Michael D. Higgins. On her last day, she thanked Ireland for her two terms in an article in The Irish Times.
Post-Presidency Activities
After leaving office, Mary McAleese continued her public service. In 2012, she and her husband, Martin, received the Tipperary Peace Prize. She also voluntarily returned over €500,000 in unused presidential funds and donated most of the gifts she received to the state.
She continued her studies and earned a doctorate in Catholic canon law in 2018 from the Pontifical Gregorian University. She has written books on the topic, including "Children's Rights & Obligations in Canon Law."
Mary McAleese has taken on several important roles in education. In 2012, she became the Chair of the European Commission High Level Group on the Modernisation of Higher Education in the European Union. She has also held positions at the University of Cambridge, Boston College, St Mary's University, Twickenham, and the University of Notre Dame. In 2018, she became a Professor at the University of Glasgow. In 2019, she was elected as Chancellor of Trinity College Dublin.
She is a strong supporter of equal rights for women in the Catholic Church. She believes women should have full roles, including in decision-making. She has described the Catholic Church as having a "toxic virus of misogyny" because of its exclusion of women.
Mary McAleese has also been a vocal advocate for LGBTQ+ rights. In 1975, she helped found the Campaign for Homosexual Law Reform. She has encouraged people to challenge anti-gay remarks and supported same-sex marriage. In 2015, she and her husband called for a "Yes" vote in the marriage equality referendum. She has received several awards for her work supporting LGBTQ+ people.
She has also spoken out about Brexit, warning that Britain leaving the European Union could create problems for the peace process in Northern Ireland and lead to border controls.
Honours and Awards
Mary McAleese has received many honours and awards for her work:
- In 2019, she was awarded the Dignité de Grand Officier de l'Ordre National du Mérite from France.
- She received the Freedom of the Burgh of Kilkenny in 2009.
- She is a Dame Grand Cross of the Two Sicilian Royal Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George.
- She is a member of the Royal Irish Academy (1998).
- She has received many honorary doctorates from universities around the world, including the Harbin Institute of Technology (China), the University of Otago (New Zealand), Mount Holyoke College (USA), and Fordham University (USA).
- She received the Silver World Award from the Boy Scouts of America (1998).
- She was given The American Ireland Fund Humanitarian Award (2007).
- In 2019, she won the Alfons Auer Ethics Award from Tübingen University in Germany for her work in building bridges and advocating for human rights.
In 2013, a bridge on the M1 motorway near Drogheda was renamed the Mary McAleese Boyne Valley Bridge to honour her contributions to the Northern Ireland peace process.
Images for kids
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Mary McAleese's signature
See also
In Spanish: Mary McAleese para niños
