Robinson, Mary (1944-…), was the first woman president of Ireland, holding that post from 1990 to 1997. The Irish presidency is a largely ceremonial office, but Robinson became one of Ireland’s most popular and respected leaders. She used her office to draw attention to such problems as poverty and discrimination. For example, she helped persuade the United Nations to provide aid to starving people in Somalia in the early 1990’s. Robinson served as the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights from 1997 to 2002.
Mary Terese Winifred Bourke was born in Ballina, Ireland, on May 21, 1944. She earned degrees in law from the University of Dublin (more generally called Trinity College) and from Harvard Law School. Bourke then practiced law in Dublin. In one important case, she won the right for Irish women to sit on juries. She married Nicholas Robinson, also a lawyer, in 1970. From 1969 to 1990, she taught law at Trinity College. Robinson served in Ireland’s Senate from 1969 to 1989, where she campaigned for the legalization of divorce and birth control.
