Mary Robinson (née Bourke) from Ballina County Mayo, Ireland served as President of Ireland from 1990 to 1997. A barrister by profession, she was the seventh President and the first female President of Ireland. With Douglas Hyde and Dr Patrick Hillary she is one of three presidents who have been born west of the River Shannon.
Mary Therese Winifred Bourke was born in Ballina on May 21st 1944. Following second level education in Dublin she studied law at Trinity College, King’s Inns, Dublin and Harvard Law School in the United States. In 1969 at the age of 25 she returned to Trinity College where she was appointed Reid Professor of Criminal Law.
Mary Robinson was elected to Seanad Éireann in 1969 representing the Trinity College constituency. She served as a member of several parliamentary committees and was to the forefront highlighting major issues of the day. She served in the Senate until 1989. She was also elected to serve as a member of Dublin City Council from 1979 to 1983.
Having been nominated by the Labour Party, Mary Robinson was elected President of Ireland in 1990. During her term of office she proved to be a very popular and is credited with playing a transformative role in the office of President. She became the first Irish President to visit the United Kingdom whilst in office. She met Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham palace and later welcomed Charles Prince of Wales to Áras an Uachtaráin. In 1992 she was the first head of state to visit Somalia following its civil war. She was also the first to visit Rwanda after the genocide in 1994. She resigned in September 1997 to take up a position as the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Mary Robinson was inaugurated President of Ireland in the year 1990 On This Day.
Mary Robinson- President of Ireland 1990 by The Labour Party on 2012-03-27 23:35:04