Search Results for 'Mary Robinson'

Former president of Ireland and Mayo native Mary Robinson has been appointed UN Special Envoy to Africa’s Great Lakes region.

A flagship Gathering event planned for the north Mayo area received a major boost this week with the news that Ballina’s most famous citizen, former president of Ireland and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mary Robinson, is to be guest of honour and keynote speaker at the festival’s gala dinner in Ballina on August 9 next.

Former President of Ireland, Mary Robinson, formed a partnership with NUI Galway last November as part of a collaborative measure to promote research and education in the fields of human rights, and on Monday January 14 she visited the college for a public interview. In front of an estimated crowd of 700 people, Mrs Robinson discussed her life and work with journalist Fintan O’Toole as part of her association with the college.

I get both embarrassed and amused, in an hysterical sort of a way, reading back over the recent social history of poor Cathleen Ní Houlihan. Particularly when it touches on anything sexual. It is surprising that any of us were born at all, such was the misery caused at the mention that anyone might be enjoying a healthy sexual relationship with a partner. The impression was given that everyone who had sexual contact outside marriage was not only in a state of serious sin, but that they were some kind of social pariah, to be scorned and driven away from normal society. Even sex within marriage could be shaky. It really was a subject that could not be discussed in public at all without inviting legions of self-righteous men and women out on the streets proclaiming well-meaning but ill-informed opinion.

Former President of Ireland Mary Robinson, visited NUI Galway to mark the beginning of a new partnership with the university around an exciting development for the Ballina region. Recent plans have been unveiled to establish a Mary Robinson Centre in the former president’s home town of Ballina. The centre, supported by Mayo County Council and Ballina Town Council, will be established at Mary Robinson’s birthplace and will include both a visitor centre and an academic research centre, supported by NUI Galway and focused on scholarly research and education in the fields of human rights and women’s leadership.

Singer Tommy Fleming is fronting a major fundraising drive by the Mayo branch of the Parkinson’s Association of Ireland. The charity chair auction, which takes place on November 16 in Breaffy House Hotel is an optional black tie event offering a great opportunity to dust down those evening dresses, call your friends, buy a table and have a great time. Music will be by Avalon.

Singer Tommy Fleming is fronting a major fundraising drive by the Mayo branch of the Parkinson’s Association of Ireland. The charity chair auction, which takes place on November 16 in Breaffy House Hotel is an optional black tie event offering a great opportunity to dust down those evening dresses, call your friends, buy a table and have a great time. Music will be by Avalon.

In an exciting new development for the west plans have been unveiled to establish a Mary Robinson centre in her home town of Ballina. The centre is to be established at Mary Robinson’s birthplace in Victoria House, on the banks of the River Moy, and will include both a visitor centre and an academic research centre, supported by NUI Galway and focused on scholarly research and education in the fields of human rights and women’s leadership.

An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny launched the memoirs of Mary Robinson at Ballina Arts Centre this week where he praised the “extraordinary book” which is “beautifully written” by the former president of Ireland.

Celebrations are in full swing in Ballina to mark the bicentenary of composer William Vincent Wallace who has been described as the rock star of his day with many compositions to his name, including the 1850s smash hits ‘Maritana’ and ‘Lurline’.