Search Results for 'Mary Robinson Centre'

Senator Michelle Mulherin is calling on Mayo County Council to purchase the former Garda Station on Walsh Street, Ballina, before it is auctioned by the OPW in the autumn, pointing out that a number of local cultural and tourist entities are interested in using the building.

History was indeed made on November 8 when Donald Trump was elected 45th president of the United States. I am not quite sure why history was made, a Republican beating a Democrat is not new, but it certainly feels like something immense has happened. Only something immense could sway the US electorate from voting to return a black Democrat in 2012, to voting four years later for a white billionaire Republican who holds overtly racist and misogynistic views. 

The ambitious plans for the Mary Robinson Centre at her childhood home in Ballina looks to have hit another roadblock this week. On Monday, the Victoria House Foundation issued a statement, confirming that the former president would be gifting her archive to NUIG rather than to Mayo County Council which according to the foundation “Storage of the archive in Galway will obviate the need to duplicate expensive archival facilities in Ballina.” 

Fianna Fáil TD for Mayo Dara Calleary has reiterated his support for the Mary Robinson Centre in Ballina. The centre is being developed in partnership with Mayo County Council and the National University of Ireland Galway. Deputy Calleary commented, “Some of the criticism being levelled at the Mary Robinson Centre in recent weeks is unfair and misplaced. The centre will be Ireland’s first presidential library, and the world’s first library dedicated to a female President. It is an extremely worthwhile project, reflecting the huge contribution that Mary Robinson has made not only to Ireland, but right across the world, during her time as president and later as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

The chief executive of Mayo County Council, Peter Hynes, has said he will give the members of the council a full report on the progress of the project once the tenders for the project have been opened. He told the monthly meeting of the authority on Monday he expected to be able to give that report in either December of January.

Mayo County Council is to receive funding for a cultural diversity programme it is undertaking with two other local authorities around the country.

Chicago’s Irish American community is gearing up to support the development of the Mary Robinson Centre. The prospect of developing the Mary Robinson Centre in Ballina as a world-class centre for research and education on human rights, equality, women’s empowerment, and climate, recognising Mary Robinson’s stellar reputation has captured the imagination of the local Irish American community, who are preparing a series of events in Chicago in September, including a lunch in the Hilton Chicago on September 15 to support fundraising efforts for the centre in the US.

Following a busy season of workshops on migration and refugees with Mayo’s secondary schools, The Mary Robinson Centre has announced an exciting programme of events for the summer, with equality, peace, and human rights at the heart of these events.

Castlebar trialogue meeting

The symbolic emigrant ‘Light’ that shone in the window in Áras an Uachtaráin when Mary Robinson was President of Ireland is now on display at the Migrant Women: Shared Experiences exhibition at National Museum of Ireland – Country Life.