The President | Mary Robinson | President of Ireland

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1997</div> </div> </div> </div> </section> <nav class="show-for-small hide-for-large material-design-nav"> <div class="row" data-equalizer data-equalize-on="small only"> <div class="columns small-8 medium-12" data-equalizer-watch> <button class="material-dropdown-trigger" type="button" data-toggle="material-dropdown"> mary-robinson </button> <div class="dropdown-pane" data-position="bottom" data-alignment="left" id="material-dropdown" data-dropdown data-auto-focus="true"> <ul class="vertical menu accordion-menu material" data-accordion-menu> <li class=""> <a href="#/">President in Office</a> <ul> <li class="" id="li1-1"> <a href="https://president.ie/index.php/en/the-president/michael-d-higgins"> Michael D. Higgins </a> </li> <li class="" id="li2-2"> <a href="https://president.ie/index.php/en/the-president/vision-for-presidency"> Vision for Presidency </a> </li> <li class="" id="li3-3"> <a href="/sabina-higgins/"> Sabina Higgins </a> </li> </ul> </li> <li class=""> <a href="#/">Role and Function</a> <ul> <li class="" id="li1-1"> <a href="https://president.ie/index.php/en/the-president/constitutional-role"> Constitutional Role </a> </li> <li class="" id="li2-2"> <a href="https://president.ie/index.php/en/the-president/work-in-ireland"> Work in Ireland </a> </li> <li class="" id="li3-3"> <a href="https://president.ie/index.php/en/the-president/international-role"> International Role </a> </li> </ul> </li> <li class=""> <a href="https://president.ie/index.php/en/presidential-seminars/machnamh-100/presidential-seminars">Machnamh 100</a> </li> <li class="single-level"> <a href="https://president.ie/index.php/en/the-president/council-of-state">Council of State</a> </li> <li class="special-initiatives-link"> <a href="/special-initiatives/">Special Initiatives</a> <ul> <li class="" id="li1-1"> <a href="/special-initiatives/ethics/"> Ethics </a> </li> <li class="" id="li2-2"> <a href="/special-initiatives/the-lock-out/"> The Lock Out </a> </li> <li class="" id="li3-3"> <a href="/special-initiatives/glaoch/"> Glaoch </a> </li> <li class="" id="li4-4"> <a href=" /special-initiatives/being-young-and-irish/"> Being Young and Irish </a> </li> <li class="" id="li5-5"> <a href="/public-art-project/"> Public Art Project </a> </li> <li class="" id="li6-6"> <a href="/special-initiatives/participation-and-transformation/"> Participation and Transformation </a> </li> <li class="" id="li7-7"> <a href="/special-initiatives/imagination-and-the-nation/"> Samhla铆ocht agus An N谩isi煤n / Imagination and the Nation </a> </li> <li class="" id="li8-8"> <a href="/special-initiatives/shared-ireland-shared-island/"> Shared Ireland, Shared Island </a> </li> </ul> </li> <li class="single-level"> <a href="/the-president/presidential-commission/">Presidential Commission</a> </li> <li class=""> <a href="https://president.ie/en/the-president/2023-legislation/">Legislation</a> <ul> <li class="" id="li1-1"> <a href="https://president.ie/en/the-president/2024-legislation/"> Legislation 2024 </a> </li> <li class="" id="li2-2"> <a href="https://president.ie/en/the-president/2023-legislation/"> 2023 </a> </li> <li class="" id="li3-3"> <a href="https://president.ie/en/the-president/2022-legislation/"> 2022 </a> </li> <li class="" id="li4-4"> <a href="/the-president/2021-legislation/"> 2021 </a> </li> <li class="" id="li5-5"> <a href="/the-president/2020-legislation/"> 2020 </a> </li> <li class="" id="li6-6"> <a href="https://president.ie/index.php/en/the-president/2019-legislation"> 2019 </a> </li> <li class="" id="li7-7"> <a href="/the-president/2018-legislation/"> 2018 </a> </li> <li class="" id="li8-8"> <a href="#li8-8"> 2016 - 2017 </a> <ul> <li class=""><a href="https://president.ie/index.php/en/the-president/2017-legislation">2017</a></li> <li class=""><a href="https://president.ie/index.php/en/the-president/2016-legislation">2016</a></li> </ul> </li> <li class="" id="li9-9"> <a href="#li9-9"> 2014 - 2015 </a> <ul> <li class=""><a href="https://president.ie/index.php/en/the-president/2015-legislation">2015</a></li> <li class=""><a href="https://president.ie/index.php/en/the-president/2014-legislation">2014</a></li> </ul> </li> <li class="" id="li10-10"> <a href="#li10-10"> 2010 - 2013 </a> <ul> <li class=""><a href="https://president.ie/index.php/en/the-president/2013-legislation">2013</a></li> <li class=""><a href="https://president.ie/index.php/en/the-president/2012-legislation">2012</a></li> <li class=""><a href="https://president.ie/index.php/en/the-president/2011-legislation">2011</a></li> <li class=""><a href="https://president.ie/index.php/en/the-president/2010-legislation">2010</a></li> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li class="active"> <a href="/the-president/mary-mcaleese/">Former Presidents</a> <ul> <li class="" id="li1-1"> <a href="https://president.ie/index.php/en/the-president/mary-mcaleese"> Mary McAleese </a> </li> <li class="active" id="li2-2"> <a href="https://president.ie/index.php/en/the-president/mary-robinson"> Mary Robinson </a> </li> <li class="" id="li3-3"> <a href="https://president.ie/index.php/en/the-president/patrick-j-hillery"> Patrick J. Hillery </a> </li> <li class="" id="li4-4"> <a href="https://president.ie/index.php/en/the-president/cearbhail-o-dalaigh"> Cearbhail 脫 D谩laigh </a> </li> <li class="" id="li5-5"> <a href="https://president.ie/index.php/en/the-president/erskine-childers"> Erskine Childers </a> </li> <li class="" id="li6-6"> <a href="https://president.ie/index.php/en/the-president/eamon-devalera"> Eamon DeValera </a> </li> <li class="" id="li7-7"> <a href="https://president.ie/index.php/en/the-president/sean-t-oceallaigh"> Sean T. O'Ceallaigh </a> </li> <li class="" id="li8-8"> <a href="https://president.ie/index.php/en/the-president/douglas-hyde"> Douglas Hyde </a> </li> </ul> </li> <li class="interactive-timeline-link"> <a href="/the-president/interactive-timeline/">Timeline of the Presidency</a> </li> </ul> </div> </div> <div class="columns small-4 show-for-small-only e-share-btn-wrapper" data-equalizer-watch>  </div> </div> </nav> <nav class="hide-for-small show-for-large material-design-nav limited-4 "> <div class="row"> <div class="columns small-12"> <ul class="dropdown menu align-center material material-nav-menu" data-dropdown-menu> <li class=""> <a href="#/">President in Office</a> <ul> <li class="" id="li1-1"> <a href="https://president.ie/index.php/en/the-president/michael-d-higgins"> Michael D. Higgins </a> </li> <li class="" id="li2-2"> <a href="https://president.ie/index.php/en/the-president/vision-for-presidency"> Vision for Presidency </a> </li> <li class="" id="li3-3"> <a href="/sabina-higgins/"> Sabina Higgins </a> </li> </ul> </li> <li class=""> <a href="#/">Role and Function</a> <ul> <li class="" id="li1-1"> <a href="https://president.ie/index.php/en/the-president/constitutional-role"> Constitutional Role </a> </li> <li class="" id="li2-2"> <a href="https://president.ie/index.php/en/the-president/work-in-ireland"> Work in Ireland </a> </li> <li class="" id="li3-3"> <a href="https://president.ie/index.php/en/the-president/international-role"> International Role </a> </li> </ul> </li> <li class=""> <a href="https://president.ie/index.php/en/presidential-seminars/machnamh-100/presidential-seminars">Machnamh 100</a> </li> <li class="single-level"> <a href="https://president.ie/index.php/en/the-president/council-of-state">Council of State</a> </li> <li class="special-initiatives-link"> <a href="/special-initiatives/">Special Initiatives</a> <ul> <li class="" id="li1-1"> <a href="/special-initiatives/ethics/"> Ethics </a> </li> <li class="" id="li2-2"> <a href="/special-initiatives/the-lock-out/"> The Lock Out </a> </li> <li class="" id="li3-3"> <a href="/special-initiatives/glaoch/"> Glaoch </a> </li> <li class="" id="li4-4"> <a href=" /special-initiatives/being-young-and-irish/"> Being Young and Irish </a> </li> <li class="" id="li5-5"> <a href="/public-art-project/"> Public Art Project </a> </li> <li class="" id="li6-6"> <a href="/special-initiatives/participation-and-transformation/"> Participation and Transformation </a> </li> <li class="" id="li7-7"> <a href="/special-initiatives/imagination-and-the-nation/"> Samhla铆ocht agus An N谩isi煤n / Imagination and the Nation </a> </li> <li class="" id="li8-8"> <a href="/special-initiatives/shared-ireland-shared-island/"> Shared Ireland, Shared Island </a> </li> </ul> </li> <li class="single-level"> <a href="/the-president/presidential-commission/">Presidential Commission</a> </li> <li class=""> <a href="https://president.ie/en/the-president/2023-legislation/">Legislation</a> <ul> <li class="" id="li1-1"> <a href="https://president.ie/en/the-president/2024-legislation/"> Legislation 2024 </a> </li> <li class="" id="li2-2"> <a href="https://president.ie/en/the-president/2023-legislation/"> 2023 </a> </li> <li class="" id="li3-3"> <a href="https://president.ie/en/the-president/2022-legislation/"> 2022 </a> </li> <li class="" id="li4-4"> <a href="/the-president/2021-legislation/"> 2021 </a> </li> <li class="" id="li5-5"> <a href="/the-president/2020-legislation/"> 2020 </a> </li> <li class="" id="li6-6"> <a href="https://president.ie/index.php/en/the-president/2019-legislation"> 2019 </a> </li> <li class="" id="li7-7"> <a href="/the-president/2018-legislation/"> 2018 </a> </li> <li class="" id="li8-8"> <a href="#li8-8"> 2016 - 2017 </a> <ul> <li class=""><a href="https://president.ie/index.php/en/the-president/2017-legislation">2017</a></li> <li class=""><a href="https://president.ie/index.php/en/the-president/2016-legislation">2016</a></li> </ul> </li> <li class="" id="li9-9"> <a href="#li9-9"> 2014 - 2015 </a> <ul> <li class=""><a href="https://president.ie/index.php/en/the-president/2015-legislation">2015</a></li> <li class=""><a href="https://president.ie/index.php/en/the-president/2014-legislation">2014</a></li> </ul> </li> <li class="" id="li10-10"> <a href="#li10-10"> 2010 - 2013 </a> <ul> <li class=""><a href="https://president.ie/index.php/en/the-president/2013-legislation">2013</a></li> <li class=""><a href="https://president.ie/index.php/en/the-president/2012-legislation">2012</a></li> <li class=""><a href="https://president.ie/index.php/en/the-president/2011-legislation">2011</a></li> <li class=""><a href="https://president.ie/index.php/en/the-president/2010-legislation">2010</a></li> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li class="active"> <a href="/the-president/mary-mcaleese/">Former Presidents</a> <ul> <li class="" id="li1-1"> <a href="https://president.ie/index.php/en/the-president/mary-mcaleese"> Mary McAleese </a> </li> <li class="active" id="li2-2"> <a href="https://president.ie/index.php/en/the-president/mary-robinson"> Mary Robinson </a> </li> <li class="" id="li3-3"> <a href="https://president.ie/index.php/en/the-president/patrick-j-hillery"> Patrick J. Hillery </a> </li> <li class="" id="li4-4"> <a href="https://president.ie/index.php/en/the-president/cearbhail-o-dalaigh"> Cearbhail 脫 D谩laigh </a> </li> <li class="" id="li5-5"> <a href="https://president.ie/index.php/en/the-president/erskine-childers"> Erskine Childers </a> </li> <li class="" id="li6-6"> <a href="https://president.ie/index.php/en/the-president/eamon-devalera"> Eamon DeValera </a> </li> <li class="" id="li7-7"> <a href="https://president.ie/index.php/en/the-president/sean-t-oceallaigh"> Sean T. O'Ceallaigh </a> </li> <li class="" id="li8-8"> <a href="https://president.ie/index.php/en/the-president/douglas-hyde"> Douglas Hyde </a> </li> </ul> </li> <li class="interactive-timeline-link"> <a href="/the-president/interactive-timeline/">Timeline of the Presidency</a> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </nav> <div class="o-block o-block--grey o-block--np"> <div class="e-breadcrumbs e-breadcrumbs--no-border-top show-for-medium"> <div class="row" data-equalizer data-equalize-on="medium up"> <div class="e-breadcrumb-nav-wrap" data-equalizer-watch> <nav> <a href="https://president.ie/" class="e-breadcrumb">Home</a> <a href="/the-president/mary-mcaleese/" class="e-breadcrumb" rel="">Former Presidents</a> <a href="https://president.ie/index.php/en/the-president/mary-robinson" class="e-breadcrumb" rel=""> Mary Robinson </a> </nav> </div> <div class="e-share-btn-wrapper" data-equalizer-watch>  </div> </div> </div> <div class="row o-block o-block--detail-page detail-page-content-wrapper"> <div class="c-detail-page-content"> <h2>Mary Robinson</h2> <figure class="img-right"> <img src="/images/made/44d1dc18a2367c64/President-Robinson-visits-Somalia-October-1992_320_279.jpg" alt="" width="320" height="279" /> </figure> <p>Born on 21 May, 1944, in Ballina, County Mayo, Mary Robinson is a barrister by profession and was appointed Reid Professor of Criminal Law in Trinity College Dublin when she was 25 years of age. With her husband, Nicholas (married 1970) she founded the Irish Centre for European Law in 1988.</p> <p>Elected as a representative of the University of Dublin, she was a member of Seanad Éireann (Upper House of Parliament) 1969 -89.</p> <p>She served on the following parliamentary committees:<br /> Joint Committee on EC Secondary Legislation 1973 – 89 and Chairman of its Social Affairs Sub-Committee 1977 – 87, Chairman of its Legal Affairs Committee 1987 – 89; Joint Committee on Marital Breakdown 1983 – 85. She was a member of Dublin City Council 1979 – 83.</p> <p>On 3 December, 1990, Mary Robinson was inaugurated as the seventh President of Ireland. She resigned from the office of President on 12 September, 1997, to take up appointment as United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.</p> </div> </div> <section class="o-block o-block--detail-page detail-page-content-wrapper related-content" id="related-content"> <div class="row"> <div class="columns small-12"> <h2 class="page-heading no-m-t">related content</h2> </div> </div> <section id="video"> <div class="row"> <div class="columns small-12"> <h3 class="page-subheading">Related Video</h3> </div> </div> <div class="row small-up-1"> <div class="column column-block"> <div class="c-card c-card--dark"> <section class="c-card-top"> <div class="fitvid" data-video-id="_hD_XHnobV0"> <iframe class="deferred-video" width="560" height="315" data-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_hD_XHnobV0" src="" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen> </iframe> </div> </section> <section class="c-card-content"> <section class="c-card-section"> <h3 class="c-card-title">1990 Inauguration of President Mary Robinson</h3> </section> <section class="c-card-info"> <div class="c-card-timestamp"> <span class="c-card__icon icon-date"></span> <span class="c-info-content"> Sat 1st Dec, 1990 | 16:53 </span> </div> </section> </section> </div> </div> </div> </section> <section id="related-speech"> <div class="row"> <div class="columns small-12"> <h3 class="page-subheading">related speeches / addresses</h3> </div> </div> <div class="row small-up-1"> <div class="column column-block"> <div class="c-card c-card--dark"> <a href="https://president.ie/media-library/speeches/address-by-the-president-mary-robinson-on-the-occasion-of-her-inauguration"> <section class="c-card-content"> <section class="c-card-section"> <h3 class="c-card-title">ADDRESS BY THE PRESIDENT, MARY ROBINSON, ON THE OCCASION OF HER INAUGURATION AS PRESIDENT OF IRELAND</h3> </section> <section class="c-card-info"> <div class="c-card-timestamp"> <span class="c-card__icon icon-date"></span> <span class="c-info-content"> 3RD DECEMBER, 1990. </span> </div> </section> </section> </a> </div> </div> </div> </section> </section> </div> </main> </div> <footer class="c-site-footer"> <section class="c-site-footer-row"> <a href="https://president.ie/" title="Ar谩s an Uachtar谩n homepage"> <div class="e-footer__logo"><img src="https://president.ie/assets/images/harp.png" alt="Golden Harp Logo"></div> </a> <h1 class="show-for-small-only e-footer__title">President of Ireland</h1> <section class="c-site-footer__links"> <article> <h3>The President</h3> <ul> <li> <a href="https://president.ie/the-president"> President in Office </a> </li> <li> <a href="https://president.ie/the-president/constitutional-role"> Role and Functions </a> </li> <li> <a href="https://president.ie/the-president/2024-legislation"> Legislation </a> </li> <li> <a href="https://president.ie/the-president/mary-mcaleese"> Past Presidents </a> </li> </ul> <h3>President's Diary</h3> <ul> <li> <a 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The President | Mary Robinson | President of Ireland