File 1 - Áras correspondence 1996 Part 1

113 pp

Correspondence mainly to President Mary Robinson (MR) from Peter Ryan (PR), Secretary to the President, including briefing notes for and notes of meeting between MR and Taoiseach John Bruton, on 5th of February, which covered topics including talks in Northern Ireland, visits abroad which took into account the pressures on the Government in the second half of 1996 due to their presidency of the EU [European Union] and were therefore mainly in first half of 1996, and the issues around the EMU [Economic Monetary Unit], 05/02/1996; notes on meeting with Taoiseach while he was in Áras an Uachtaráin [official residence of the President of Ireland] for another function, to get update on Northern Ireland, including MR's own notes, 15/04/1996; notes on briefing with Taoiseach on Northern Ireland which was requested by MR, 31/05/1996; notes on telephone call between MR and President Nelson Mandela, which PR forwarded to Frank Murray (FM), Secretary to the Government, in which Mandela shared difficulties South Africa were having in education and asked for assistance in retraining of teachers, which MR vowed to pass on to Taoiseach, 31/05-01/06/1996; briefing on EMU and the Irish presidency of the EU, which MR had requested, which was forwarded by FM to Colm Butler, Deputy Secretary to MR, 07/06/1996; photocopy of faxed briefing update on the humanitarian situation in the Great Lakes Region, sent to PR from Barbara Jones, Irish Aid, Department of Foreign Affairs, 10/06/1996; material relating to rumours MR was being considered for post of Secretary General of the United Nations, including queries from Andy Hill, Chief Correspondence, Reuters Ireland, and response from PR stating MR was not a candidate (20/06/1996), photocopies of French press coverage listing MR as first place among "the most outstanding potential candidates" (21/06/1996), article in German paper and translation sent from Embassy of Ireland, Germany (26/06/1996), and two reports of conversations in which the possibility came up, sent by Ted Barrington, Ambassador, Irish Embassy, London (28/06/1996), 20-28/06/1996; correspondence from Ambassador Barrington to Seán O hUiginn, Second Secretary, Anglo-Irish division, Department of Foreign Affairs (25/06/1996), and notes of subsequent phone call from Barrington to PR relating to MR's proposed visit to Manchester following recent bombings, (26/06/1996); notes on meeting with Taoiseach on 6th July, where topics covered included her report on her visit to Manchester, briefings on the Drumcree "stand-off" which was in its second day, and reference to her attendance at a Heritage concert in Cashel, which Taoiseach was also attending, 11/07/1996; photocopy of faxed update received from CONCERN's Dominic MacSorley, Country Director in Rwanda, via Jack Finucane, Regional Director, The Horn and Central Africa, 23/08/1996.

Ref: P143/4/6/1/7/1

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