Inauguration of Chancellor Mary McAleese
Posted on: 18 December 2019
Mary McAleese, former President of Ireland was inaugurated as the new Chancellor of Trinity College at a special ceremony in the University.
Speaking of the great distinction that Professor McAleese will bring to the role, Provost of Trinity College, Dr Patrick Prendergast said:
Mary McAleese was born in Belfast and grew up, the eldest of nine children, in Ardoyne, an area particularly badly affected by sectarian violence during the Troubles. Her family was seriously impacted and this cemented her lifelong commitment to non-violence, anti-sectarianism, inter-religious dialogue, reconciliation and human rights.
Following the ceremony, the newly inaugurated Chancellor officiated at her first honorary degrees ceremony along with Trinity’s PhD graduating students of the winter commencements.
Professor McAleese has a long-standing connection with Trinity, having held the position of Reid Professor of Criminal Law, Criminology and Penology from 1975 to 1987 and been involved in numerous University events and initiatives over subsequent years.
The Provost added:
Trinity is honoured, and very lucky, to have her as the head of the university. Trinity has a mission, inscribed in our current Strategic Plan, to
“fearlessly engage in actions that advance the cause of a pluralistic, just, and sustainable society”.
Chancellor McAleese embodies this mission – indeed ‘pluralism’, ‘justice’; and, of course, ‘fearless’ are exactly the adjectives that come to mind in connection with her.
The Chancellor presides at meetings of the University Senate, overseeing important ceremonial occasions such as commencement ceremonies when degrees of the University of Dublin are awarded, including honorary degrees.
The Chancellor plays a key role in selecting those to whom honorary degrees are awarded.
Mary McAleese was born in Belfast and grew up, the eldest of nine children, in Ardoyne the area worst affected by sectarian violence during the Troubles. Her family was seriously impacted by paramilitary attacks which cemented her lifelong commitment to non-violence, anti-sectarianism, interreligious dialogue, reconciliation and human rights. Mary graduated in Law from the Queen’s University of Belfast in 1973 and was called to the Bar of the Inn of Court of Northern Ireland and the King’s Inns Dublin.
In 1975, she was appointed Reid Professor of Criminal Law, Criminology and Penology at Trinity College Dublin. She trained as a current affairs journalist with RTE. In 1987, she returned to her Alma Mater, Queens, to become Director of the Institute of Professional Legal Studies. In 1994, she became the first female Pro-Vice Chancellor of the Queen’s University of Belfast.
Professor McAleese was a founder member of the Campaign for Homosexual Law Reform, the Irish Commission for Prisoners Overseas, and Belfast Women’s Aid. She has served on the Board of Channel Four Television, BBC Northern Ireland, the Royal Group of Hospitals Trust and Northern Ireland Electricity.
In 1997 Professor McAleese became the first President of Ireland from Northern Ireland. She served in that office from 1997 to 2011 pursuing a theme of reconciliation through Building Bridges which culminated in the 2011 State Visit to Ireland by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the first such visit by a British monarch since independence.
Post-Presidency Professor McAleese returned to full-time study graduating with a Licentiate and Doctorate in Canon Law from the Pontifical Gregorian University Rome. In 2018 she was appointed Professor of Children, Law & Religion at University of Glasgow. She is Chair of the Von Hugel Institute, University of Cambridge, former Burns Scholar at Boston College (2013), Keogh-Naughton Fellow, University of Notre Dame (2015) and Distinguished Scholar at St. Mary’s University Twickenham (2016).
