Mary McAleese, the first President of Ireland from Northern Ireland and a renowned advocate for peace and social justice, will be the commencement honoree at Misericordia University’s Winter Commencement Ceremony on Dec. 15.
McAleese is an Irish activist lawyer, academic and author and was the president of Ireland from November 1997 to November 2011. She was the second female president of Ireland and the first woman in the world to succeed another woman as president
Her presidency was marked by significant contributions to peace and reconciliation in Ireland, including the historic state visit of Queen Elizabeth II in 2011.
Born in Belfast in 1951, McAleese was the eldest of nine children and grew up in a challenging environment during “The Troubles.” Her commitment to social justice led her to co-found several organizations, including Belfast Women’s Aid and the Campaign for Homosexual Law Reform. She has authored multiple books, including “Reconciled Being: Love in Chaos” and “Here’s the Story: A Memoir.”
In addition to her presidential duties, McAleese has held prominent academic positions, including Reid Professor of Criminal Law at Trinity College Dublin and Chair of the Von Hugel Institute at Cambridge University. She is a recognized leader in higher education, having chaired the European Union Commission’s High Level Group on the Modernization of Higher Education.
McAleese will receive an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters Degree during the ceremony on Dec. 15. It will be livestreamed on YouTube beginning at 2 p.m.