McAleese, Mary (1951–)

views updated

McAleese, Mary (1951–)

Irish politician, barrister, broadcast journalist, and president of Ireland. Born Mary Leneghan, June 27, 1951, in Belfast, Northern Ireland; m. Martin McAleese, 1976; children: Emma (b. 1982) and twins Justin and SaraMai (b. 1985).

Became a barrister (1973); called to the Northern Ireland Bar (1974), specializing in criminal and family law; was Reid Professor of Criminal Law, Criminology and Penology, Trinity College, Dublin (1975–79, 1981); joined the Irish television service, RTE (1979), as a current affairs journalist and co-host; campaigned to have ban on abortion added to Constitution and ban on divorce retained, but supported such liberal causes as women in the priesthood and homosexual law reform; appointed director of Institute on Legal Studies at Queen's University, Belfast (1987); appointed pro-vice-chancellor at Queen's (1994), the 1st woman to hold this position; elected president of Ireland (1997), the 1st born in Northern Ireland.