This series relates to the work of Mary Robinson’s husband Nicholas, Irish author, historian, solicitor and cartoonist and who on Mary Robinson’s inauguration as Ireland’s first female president in 1990, became Ireland’s first First Gentleman.

The Robinsons met when both attended Trinity College Dublin (TCD) studying Legal Sciences (the then title of TCD’s Law degree) and graduated together in 1967. They married in 1970, and had three children. On graduation, Nicholas worked as a solicitor and material relating to some of his legal cases can be found in P143/18/7. They co-founded the Irish Centre for European Law, in TCD, and material relating to this can be found elsewhere in P143/1/5.

Nicholas Robinson took a huge interest in Ireland’s rich heritage, and helped establish many organisations responsible for its preservation. He was a committee member of An Taisce [The National Trust for Ireland] and material spanning the period 1972-1992 including correspondence can be found in P143/18/1. Material from 1976-1985, relating to his work with The Heritage Trust* can be found in P143/18/2, including his time as “full-time Executive”. P143/18/3 consists of material (1992-2005) relating to the Irish Landmark Trust, which he helped establish with Edward McPartland in 1992. Robinson was the first chairperson of the board and became president of the Trust in 2017. Material relating to the Irish Architectural Archive (IAA), covering the period 1978-2014 can be found in P143/18/4. Again with McParland, Robinson established the IAA, (formerly the National Trust Archive) in 1976. He held the roles of company member (1976 to date), board member (1976-1993), Chairman (1976-1981 and 1987-1993), and Honorary President (1994 to date), a position he shares with McParland. P143/18/5 consists of some correspondence relating to the Irish Georgian Society.

On 3 December 1990, President Mary Robinson was inaugurated, becoming the first female president of Ireland. As such, Nicholas, as her spouse, became Ireland’s first First Gentleman, handing over to Ireland’s second First Gentleman, Martin McAleese on the inauguration of Mary Robinson’s successor Mary McAleese on 11 November 1997. He gave up his work as solicitor at this time to avoid conflict of interest issues, and to support his wife in her new role. P143/18/6 consists of material from this period and includes correspondence, briefing books and other background information relating to official state visits. During his wife’s presidential term, Nicholas Robinson took an active interest and part in the conservation and renovation work of Áras an Uachtaráin, the presidential residence, and material related to this can be found elsewhere in P143/4/10.

P143/18/8 contains material relating to events attended by Nicholas Robinson, including draft speeches, invites and flyers. Press material relating to him can be found in P143/18/9 and various correspondence is contained in P143/18/10. Robinson is a cartoonist and material relating to his work, and his interest in this field can be found in P143/18/11. P143/18/12 consists of material relating to his work on published books, including reviews and launch material, and P143/18/13 contains research material. The final two subseries in this series consist of ephemera (P143/18/14) and oversized items including architectural drawings and degree and honorary degree certificates from TCD and National University of Ireland respectively (P143/18/15).

[*Archivist’s Note: The Heritage Trust of this period is unrelated to the Heritage Trust established in 2006]

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Material in this series relates to publications written about and/or by Mary Robinson, is further divided into 7 subseries and includes drafts, correspondence, cuttings and programmes.

P143/11/1 consists of material relating to “Mary Robinson: The Authorised Biography”, by Olivia O’Leary and Helen Bourke, 1998. Material relating to Robinson’s own memoir, “Everybody Matters – My Life Giving Voice”, 2013, co-written with her daughter Tessa, can be found in P143/11/2. Material in P143/11/3 relates to “A Voice for Human Rights”, 2010, a collection of public addresses given by Robinson from 1997-2002, edited by Human Rights activist Kevin Boyle. Boyle worked very closely with Robinson during her time as United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, working as a special advisor and speech writer.

The fourth subseries, P143/11/4, consists of material relating to Robinson’s many contributions to and endorsements of publications by others, in particular in the field of Human Rights. The final three subseries consist of correspondence (P143/11/5); articles and op-eds written by or about Robinson (P143/11/6) and correspondence relating to books gifted to Robinson over the course of her career (P143/11/7).

[Archivist’s note: Kevin Boyle’s archive, A44, is also held at the University of Galway]

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Material in this series relates to Mary Robinson’s work with the Mary Robinson Foundation – Climate Justice (MRFCJ) which she founded in 2010 after returning r to Ireland. A centre for education and advocacy on sustainable and people-centred development in the world’s poorest communities, it was based out of Trinity College Dublin (TCD), and came to a planned end in April 2019.

Material in this series is further divided into ten subseries covering minutes (P143/8/1); articles, reports and background information (P143/8/2); briefing packs and biographies relating to specific visits and/or events (P143/8/3); correspondence (P143/8/4); administration, staff issues, internal correspondence (P143/8/5); press, including statements, cuttings and photographs (P143/8/6); addresses and speeches (P143/8/7); funding (P143/8/8); Troika+ [Women Leaders on Gender and Climate Change] (P143/8/9) and ephemera (P143/8/10).

[Archivist’s Note 1: some material in this series has been closed due to the sensitive nature of the contents, and/or in adherence to GDPR regulations.

Archivist’s Note 2: some material overlaps with Robinson’s work with the United Nations as Special Envoy (P143/5/5-7)), with Realizing Rights – The Ethical Globalisation Initiative (P143/6), with The Elders (P143/7) and with her work as patron to several organisations (P143/9)].

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Material in this series relates to Mary Robinson’s work as part of the legal profession, is further subdivided and includes reports, correspondence, cuttings, photographs and official court judgements.

It includes material relating to Robinson’s path into Law (P143/1/1); her work as a barrister and special council including many of her precedent-setting cases (P143/1/2); her work in the area of Family Law (P143/1/3), the Law Reform Commission (P143/1/4) and the Euro Avocats, Brussels, of which she was a member from 1989-1990 (P143/1/6); her work as a member of the Inner Chamber, 2 Hare Court [one of the four Inns of Court, England and Wales] (P143/1/5); material relating to the Irish Centre for European Law which she co-founded with her husband Nicholas (P143/1/7), to the International Academy of Trial Lawyers (P143/1/8) and to her time as General Rapporteur, “Human Rights and the Dawn of the 21st Century”, Council of Europe, Strasbourg, 1993-1995 (P143/1/9); material relating to the International Commission of Jurists, Geneva of which she was a member from 1987-2014, and President from 2008-2011 (P143/1/10); material relating to the Lawyers Committee for Human Rights which later became Human Rights First (P143/1/11) and HLCLEP [High Level Commission on Legal Empowerment of the Poor] of which Robinson was also a member (P143/1/15).

This series also includes material relating to Irish and European Court judgements from 1960s to 1990s (P143/1/12 and P143/1/13); Ireland v Council of European Communities 1973-1995 (P143/1/14) and general material covering events, correspondence, reports and press as they relate to the legal profession and Robinson’s work in that field (P143/1/16-19).

Material in this series relates to various events attended and/or organised by Mary Robinson not covered elsewhere in this collection. Often during the course of Robinson’s career, her work with various organisations overlapped, and she carried out multiple roles simultaneously. As a result, events which could not be identified as relating to a specific role or be clearly defined as relating to one role only, and which therefore could not be arranged in a relevant series elsewhere, are covered here.

The material consists of correspondence, programmes, draft speeches, posters, flyers, itineraries and other documents and is further divided into four subseries: Events, arranged chronologically (P143/12/1); Addresses (P143/12/2); Security badges and passes (P143/12/3) and oversized posters (P143/12/4).

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This series consists of Mary Robinson’s personal diaries from 1967-2013 (P143/16/1) and daily schedules and engagements from 1998-2013 (P143/16/2).

[Archivist’s Note: Robinson’s term as President of Ireland is not covered by the diaries present in the first subseries.]

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Material in this series relates to various correspondence to and from Mary Robinson not covered elsewhere in this collection. Often during the course of Robinson’s career, her work with various organisations overlapped, and she carried out multiple roles simultaneously. As a result, correspondence which could not be identified as relating to a specific role or be clearly defined as relating to one role only, and which therefore could not be arranged in a relevant series elsewhere, is covered here. Also covered here is correspondence unrelated to her career.

The series is further divided into eight subseries: personal correspondence including with close friends (P143/13/1); personal correspondence with persons of note, some of whom were also close friends (P143/13/2); invites (P143/13/3); correspondence from the general public including requests for autographs and both fan-mail and hate-mail (P143/13/4); general correspondence (P143/13/4); correspondence relating to the setting up of the Victoria Foundation, the transfer of Robinson’s archive to the University of Galway in 2018, and the development of the Mary Robinson Centre (P143/13/6); correspondence relating to Amnesty International which overlapped with several series (P143/13/7); and cards for special occasions including birthdays and Christmas (P143/13/8).

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Material in this series relates to the numerous awards, degrees and honorary degrees received by Mary Robinson throughout her career, is further divided into six subseries and one file, and consists of certificates, correspondence, awards and medals, photographs, cuttings, ceremonial gowns and programmes. It relates to degrees and honorary degrees (P143/10/1); awards given (P143/10/2); medals given (P143/10/3), material relating to the Prince Asturias Prize (P143/10/4); material relating to Club de Rhodes [Women of Europe - Robinson was the Irish Laureate for Women of Europe Award in 1988 ] (P143/10/5) and academic wardrobe (P143/10/6). The final file consists of lists of awards (P143/10/7).

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Material in this series relates to Mary Robinson’s work at or in collaboration with academic institutions, is further subdivided into 21 subsections and includes correspondence, reports, course material, speeches and addresses, minutes, itineraries, commencement programmes, flyers and posters.

Material in the first subseries (P143/3/1) covers Robinson’s time in Trinity College Dublin (TCD) including that relating to her roles as Reid Professor of Constitutional and Criminal Law, 1969-1975, Lecturer in European Community Law, 1975-1990 and Chancellor, 1998-2019. Material in the subsequent ten subseries relates to Robinson’s work as visiting lecturer, or board member with other universities, including University of San Francisco, 1982 (P143/3/2); European University Institute, Florence 1985-1990 (P143/3/3); Royal Irish Academy, 1981-2008 (P143/3/4); Yale University, 1995-2009 (P143/3/5); Harvard University, 1998-2018 (P143/3/6); University of Pennsylvania, 2001-2006 (P143/3/7); Asian University for Women, 2001-2007 (P143/3/8); London School of Economics, 2002-2014 (P143/3/9); Brown University, 2003-2006 (P143/3/10); Emory University, 2003-2009 (P143/3/11); Columbia University, 2003-2011 (P143/3/12); University of Pretoria, 2004-2009 (P143/3/13); KAUST [King Abdullah University of Science and Technology], 2008-2010 (P143/3/14); University of California - Berkeley's School of Public Health, 2009-2013 (P143/3/15) and BRAC University Bangladesh, 2009-2011 (P143/3/16).

Material in the remaining subseries (P143/3/17-22) relates to talks and speeches given by Robinson on the University Circuit; commencement events; correspondence and posters respectively.