Mary McAleese: President Of Ireland

Mary McAleese, was born Mary Patricia Leneghan, in Ardoyne, Belfast, on June 27, 1951. The first born of a family of nine other children.

Mary McAleese grew up in Northern Ireland, at the height of ‘the troubles’ and just like other families, at the time, her own family suffered attacks and murder attempts. In the end they were forced to leave the area by the paramilitary violence.

Mary McAleese

Quick Reference Guide
Broadcasting Career
Irish Presidency
Courting Controversy
Further Reading

In 1973, she graduated in Law from Queen’s University Belfast, and was called to the Bar in 1974. In 1976, she married Dr Martin McAleese, a dentist and accountant. They have three children Emma, born 1982 and twins Justin and Sara Mai, born 1985. She was appointed Reid Professor of Criminal Law, Criminology and Penology at Trinity College, Dublin, in 1987.

Mary McAleese returned to Belfast’s Queen’s University to take up the position of Director of the Institute of Professional Legal Studies, in 1987 and in 1994, she became the first female Pro-Vice Chancellor of Queen’s University Belfast.

Broadcasting Career

During that time Mary McAleese, also worked as a journalist and broadcaster with RTE television, reporting for the News, and other political programmes.

Her impressive CV also includes Director of Channel 4 Television; Member of Catholic Church delegation in 1996 to the North Commission on Contentious Parades; Founder member of the Irish Commission for Prisoners Overseas; Director of Northern Ireland Electricity Delegate to the 1995 White House Conference, on Trade and Investment in Ireland and to the subsequent Pittsburg Conference.

Irish Presidency

In 1997, Mary McAleese, famously defeated former Fianna Fail, Taoiseach (or Prime Minister as the office is referred to in other countries) Albert Reynolds, in an internal party election. The nomination cause quite a stir, with many believing a Belfast Catholic, President could harm relations with Britain. However, Mary McAleese won the election, beating off opponents, Mary Banotti, of Fine Gael, Labour candidate Adi Roche, former Eurovision Song Contest Winner, Dana Rosemary Scallon, and Derek Nally.

In 1997, she was inaugurated the eighth President of Ireland, and the second woman President. She also made world history by being the first woman to succeed another woman, the first being Mary Robinson.

The theme, Mary McAleese adopted for her presidency is, ‘Building Bridges’.

President McAleese has travelled widely, during her Presidency, meeting with heads of state from other countries. She is a frequent visitor to Northern Ireland, where she is warmly welcomed by both sides of the political divide.

Courting Controversy

No stranger to controversy, she incurred the wrath, of the Catholic Church by receiving communion in an Anglican Church in Dublin. Then in January 2005, at a ceremony to commemorate the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz concentration camp, Northern Ireland Unionist politicians were furious, when she made reference to the manner in which Protestant children in Northern Ireland, had been reared to hate Catholics, just like German children had been brought up to hate Jews under the Nazi regime. She later apologised, for her remarks, describing them as unbalanced.

Known to be an admirer of Queen Elizabeth 11, whom she came to know, while she was Pro-Vice Chancellor of Queens. President McAleese has made no secret of the fact that she would love to be the first Irish President, to welcome a British head of state to the Republic of Ireland.

President McAleese, is now in her second term of office, having been elected unopposed in 2004.

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