Material relating to President Mary Robinson (MR)'s visit to Argentina, Chile and Brazil, 19/03-02/04/1995, the first ever State visits by an Irish President to Latin America which to those participating on the ground was deemed a success but which was initially perceived in Irish media as a failure. Includes report from ND [Noel Dorr, Secretary Department of Foreign Affairs] refuting claims made in Irish media and noting "I had a minor disadvantage of being with the President as part of her delegation and seeing what actually happened rather than being at home to read what the Irish news media - in effect Conor O'Clery of The Irish Times and Eileen Whelan on RTE - felt they ought to report about it", 03/04/1995; copy of typed report prepared by Brian McCarthy [Assistant Secretary to the Government] "President's State Visits to Argentina, Chile and Brazil, 19 March - 2 April 1995", 05/04/1995; report by Noel Dorr of meeting he had with Director General of Chilean Foreign Ministry, sent to MR on 07/04/1995; draft reports on "Meeting between President Robinson and President Menem - 20 March 1995", with notations and correspondence between Peter Ryan and Irish Ambassador to Argentina, Bernard Davenport, 06-10/04/1995; draft report on "meeting with President Cardoso - 29 March 1995", with notations, 12/04/1995; typed copy of address to MR from "probably one of the longest serving Irish missionaries here in Brazil"; typed letter "Viewpoint for Peter M from John Horgan", refuting and critiquing article by Mary Ellen Synon in Sunday Tribune, [04?]/1995.

Ref: P143/4/5/3/5/4

Typed programme for visit of President Robinson to Rwanda, Zaire, Uganda, 9-13 October 1995

Ref: P143/4/5/3/5/5

Material relating to President Mary Robinson (MR)'s visit to China for conference [UN Fourth World Conference on Women?] which may or may not have taken place, including UN Fourth World Conference on Women branded postcard and envelope from Maire Bradshaw, Cork Federation, referencing group of women from Rwanda who had approached them hoping to speak to MR, 03/09/1995; memo from Bride Rosney, Special Adviser to the President, in relation to call from Lorna Siggins referencing her attempts to find out if MR was attending conference; background material including from International Campaign for Tibet, report "The Future of China in the Context of Asian Society", policy recommendations, Tokyo 01/1995, and annual report 1994, The Japan Forum on International Relations Inc., flyer for All India Women's conference and business card for its President Shobhana Ranade, and flyer "The Marrakesh Declaration", Mediterranean and European Women's Conference, Women and Peace, May 1994. Also includes photocopy of letter to Secretary of Department of Foreign Affairs from Ambassador Seán [Ó Broin?], [Irish Embassy to the Holy See?], re call on Pope by UN Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali, where Beijing conference was discussed, 19/12/1994.

Ref: P143/4/5/3/5/6

Material relating to President Mary Robinson (MR)'s visit to London, England, 25-27/10/1995 including official information handbook containing details of delegation, programme, protocols and contact numbers, official documentation from Lord Chamberlain's Office, 17/10/1995 on reception to mark the Sesquicentenary of The Queen's Colleges in Ireland, St James's Palace, 25/10/1995 with official envelope, and copy of typed address given by MR for the LSE [London School of Economics] Founders' Day Lecture, "The Academic Space: New Frontier or Black Hole", 27/10/1995.

[Archivist's note: both the envelope and the documentation therein from the Lord Chamberlain's Office repeatedly refer to President Robinson as President of the Republic of Ireland, instead of her correct title of President of Ireland].

Ref: P143/4/5/3/5/7

Material relating to visits by Mary Robinson abroad in 1996, including to Republic of South Africa (P143/4/5/3/6/1), United States of America including State visit (P143/4/5/3/6/2,3), Federal Republic of Germany (P143/4/5/3/6/3) and United Kingdom (P143/4/5/3/6/5-7).

[Archivist’s Note: President Robinson became the first Irish President to make an official State visit to the United States of America while in office, following a public invite from President Bill Clinton, during one of his own visits to Ireland.

President Seán T. O'Kelly was invited to the United States of America by President Eisenhower in 1959 and addressed the Joint Meeting of Congress, 18/03/1959. President de Valera attended President John F. Kennedy's funeral in 1963, and made an official visit in 1964 during which he also addressed Congress. President Robinson herself met President Clinton on a private visit in 1993, as did her successor President McAleese in 1998.

State visits to the United States are formal visits by the head of state from one country to the United States, during which the president of the United States acts as official host of the visitor. State visits are considered to be the highest expression of friendly bilateral relations between the United States and a foreign state and are, in general, characterised by an emphasis on official public ceremonies. State visits can only occur on the invitation of the president of the United States, acting in his capacity as head of the United States. (Official visits, in contrast, can also only occur on the invitation of the president of the United States, though are offered in the president's capacity as chief of the federal government of the United States.)]

Ref: P143/4/5/3/6

Material relating to President Mary Robinson's State visit to the Republic of South Africa, 24-30/03/1996, including official information handbook containing details on delegation, programme, protocols and car plans, business card and letter from Ahmed Kathrada, Parliamentary Counsellor in the Office of the President, and Chairperson, Ex Political Prisoners Committee which was attached to a gift given "to remind you of your memorable visit to Robben Island", 27/03/1996, and background note on the Constitutional Court. Also includes confidential brief which contains information on itinerary, biographical notes, background notes on South Africa, notes on South Africa and Human Rights, constitution and Judiciary, background material on itinerary and on Aid projects, notes on bilateral trade and economic relations, bilateral development co-operation and bilateral cultural relations, notes on EU-South Africa relations, notes on Africa Great Lakes region and notes on Northern Ireland.

Ref: P143/4/5/3/6/1

Material relating to President Mary Robinson (MR)'s State visit to United States of America, 11-15/06/1996, including official information handbook detailing delegation, programme and protocols, 6 copies of programme hosted by President and Mrs Clinton at the White House, of performance by Mary Chapin Carpenter and Mary Black, 13/06/1996, 4 copies of menu for dinner honouring President and Mr Robinson, at White House, 13/06/1996, with 5th copy signed by Bill Clinton to MR; table placeholder marked "President and Mrs Clinton", official booklet with floor plan for Blair House, The President's Guest House, at which the Robinsons were staying, and official visitor luggage tag for same, and letter of thanks from Joseph and Carol Hassett to Robinsons for including them in the "very special events of [your] memorable State visit to Washington", 19/06/1996. See P143/4/7/7/4

Ref: P143/4/5/3/6/2

Material relating to President Mary Robinson's visit to Federal Republic of Germany (FDR), 29/09-02/10/1996, including official information handbook embossed with FDR emblem detailing programme, delegation, order of cars, aircraft seating plan, allocation of rooms and telephone numbers, and official translation of advance text of speech by FDR President, Roman Herzog at dinner in honour of President Robinson, Schloss Belleview, Berlin, 30/09/1996, in commemorative booklet embossed with FDR emblem; (Irish) official information handbook detailing delegation, programme, protocols, contact numbers and room allocations, with visit to Berlin (29-30/09/1996) marked as official, and visit to Frankfurt (01-02/10/1996) marked as normal visit.

Ref: P143/4/5/3/6/3

Official information handbook for President Mary Robinson's visit to Boston and New York, United States of America, 05-09/10/1996, detailing delegation, programme, protocols, contact numbers and room allocations.

Ref: P143/4/5/3/6/4

Material relating to potential President Mary Robinson's visit to 6 cities in England scheduled for March 1996 [unclear if this took place], including correspondence between Niall Crowley and Bride Rosney, Special Adviser to the President, on research he carried out for the trip and communication he had with Seán Hutton, chairman of the British Association for Irish Studies, 19-22/02/1996, letter from Ruth Dudley Edwards with photocopies of several of her opinion pieces in newspapers, 06/06/1994-14/02/1996, handwritten paper/article/address "Keeping in with the Joneses", no date.

Ref: P143/4/5/3/6/5