Material relating to Mary Robinson (MR)'s run in the Seanad Éireann [Irish Senate, upper house of parliament] Election, 1981 including correspondence supporting her run and congratulating her success, 21/06-04/09/1981; general correspondence sent to all candidates from the Seanad Electoral Officer, Returning Officer and Controller, Dublin Postal Districts, 12/06-05/08/1981; drafts and copies of correspondence from MR to potential voters and typed and handwritten lists of addresses; handwritten tally of votes; handwritten list of [volunteers to stuff envelopes?]; forms of nomination with signatures of nominees for MR; letters seeking support for MR and drafts, from Kader Asmal, Grainne Flynn, Ronald C Cox, Dr Mary Henry, Bride Rosney and Henry O Bourke (brother), 26/06-14/07/1981 and same for Shane Ross 02-03/07/1981; candidate election addresses from MR, Catherine McGuinness, David Boyd Redmond Cabot, Barry Cullen, Tommy Murtagh, Trevor West, David Norris, Shane Ross and Owen Quinn, 1981; correspondence with Hugh Alexander Boyd, offering support and advice over various election campaigns, 27/02/1973-28/09/1981; newspaper cuttings, 16/06-13/08/1981, and election 1981 copy of Trinity College Gazette, 10/07/1981.

Material relating to Mary Robinson (MR)'s term in Seanad Éireann in the late 1970s including election to Seanad Éireann, 14/08/1977. It includes folder of correspondence supporting her run and congratulating her success, some of which references her failed run in the Dáil [lower house of Irish parliament], 20/05/-06/10/1977; folder of election addresses including from MR, Antoin E Murphy, Trevor West, Alan J Shatter, David Norris, Vincent J McBrierty, Conor Cruise O'Brien, Declan Budd, Catherine McGuinness, David Boyd Redmond Cabot, Shane PN Ross, and standard letters seeking support; notice from the clerk of Seanad Éireann to MR of roll call on 6-8 September [start of new Seanad term?], 30/08/1977; photocopy list of names and addresses for electors living abroad, 1977; correspondence relating to change of addresses of electors, 23/06/1977-31/07/1978; correspondence between MR and members if supporting committee in relation to her decision to join the Labour party, and accept the whip, 25/10/1976-11/02/1977.

Folder labelled "Senate Election file 1973" relating to Mary Robinson (MR)'s successful campaign to be elected Senator in the Dublin University constituency, held in May 1973. Material includes correspondence relating to changes in the electoral register, individual changes in addresses and lists of amended addresses; completed nomination forms with signatures of supporters along with correspondence to MR from some; booklet on Statutory Instruments re Seanad Elections Free Postage Regulations, 96and photocopied signed form from MR certifying number of unpaid communications tendered, date stamped by Controller, Dublin Postal District 12/03/1973; correspondence relating to printing of communication from MR, 12/03-17/05/1973; newspaper cuttings; flyers for official election addresses MR, TT West, Lionel Fleming, Joe Revington, Dr David John McConnell, Nessa O'Byrne Healy, Derrick Waldron-Lynch, William John Edward Jessop, Dr Noel Browne and David Boyd Redmond Cabot, 1973; flyers for election addresses for TT West, Catherine M Doohan, Cabot 1970; copies of communication and draft communication from MR to voters; official supplement listing panels of candidates prepared by Seanad Returning Officer for Seanad General Election May 1973, published 30/03/1973; letters of congratulations on her election and other correspondence, 30/04-26/06/1973, including from Mr Brennan, Australia Embassy, Mr Justice John Kenny, Rev Enda McDonagh, St Patrick's College, Maynooth, Eilish MacCurtain, Department of Foreign Affairs, Mrs Gemma Hussey, Women's Progressive Association, Miriam W Pike, [Dublin University] Women Graduates Association, Mother Aquinas, Convent of Jesus & Mary, Crosmolina County Mayo (Great aunt of MR), Rev Arthur Butler, Bishop of Connor, Professor Jessop, Trinity College Dublin, CP O'Brien for Ballina Urban District Council, along with members of the public; letters of support and general correspondence including from public ahead of election, 20/01-27/04/1973, including from Rev J Nally Goulden, Ballycastle County Antrim, Kader Asmal, Trinity College Dublin, Wing Commander Stanley Towell, RAF [Royal Air Force, United Kingdon], Aiden Hannigan, Department of Legal Studies, University of Melbourne, Australia; material relating to candidates on other panels outside of University panel MR was on [Labour Panel, Cultural and Educational, Industrial and Commercial, Agricultural, Administrative] including correspondence from other candidates looking for support, 05/02-17/07/1973, list of [winning?] candidates for each panel in MR's handwriting, and flyers of election addresses for candidates including Paddy Murphy, Mícheál Cranitch, Irish Congress of Trade Unions candidates and Sean Brosnahan, (Labour Panel), Mary Walsh, Maurice O'Connell, Valentine O'Kelly, Henry Edward Counihan, Timothy McAuliffe and Michael, Marquis of Headfort (Cultural and Educational Panel), Thomas C Skehan, John O'Connor, Sylvester Muldowney, James Gallagher, John O'Connor and Elexis FitzGerald (Industrial and Commercial Panel), Jack FitzGerald, Michael Ferris and Michael O'Mahony (Agricultural panel), Bernard McGlinchey, Michael Gallanagh, Peter Smithwick. Pat Kerrigan and Jim Doolan (Administrative panel), John J Kelly, Patrick M Rabbitte, John Horgan and Sean M Lavelle (National University of Ireland constituency).

[Archivist's note: reference is made in several correspondence to MR's mother dying during the campaign]

Material covers Mary Robinson (MR)'s election to Seanad Éireann which followed the general election (18 June 1969). Ballots were received between 04 July and 12 August 1969, and term ran from 5 November 1969 - 30 March 1973. MR was one of three candidates elected from Dublin University [Trinity College Dublin] constituency and ran as an independent.

Material consists of correspondence and election address flyers of MR and other candidates. Correspondence (11/05-12/10/1969) in the form of letters seeking and giving support, including to and from MR's family, as well as letters apologising that votes were going elsewhere, include letters from Professor JM Kelly, Department of Jurisprudence and Roman Law, University College Dublin, 28/05/1969; typed letter from Mr Tom G Wilson to Dr Aubrey de Vere Bourke [MR's father], 29/05/1969; handwritten letter from Nicholas Robinson [MR's partner and later husband] to Miss Bourke, London, 10/06/1969; handwritten letter from MR to her parents giving details of the campaign, 13/06/1969; Bishop of Tuam, 14/06/1969; Professor Robert FV Heuston, Dean of the Faculty of Law, University of Southampton, 17/06/1969; letter to Mrs Tess Bourke [MR's mother] from Sarsfield Hogan, Irish Steel Holdings Ltd, 18/06-04/07/1969; handwritten letter from Hugh Alexander Boyd, Ballycastle County Antrim, Northern Ireland, 19/06/1969; The Very Reverend C Gray-Stack, 19/06/1969; handwritten letter from Henry Bourke [MR's brother], Singapore, to parents, 03/07/1969; handwritten letter to MR from Paget [MR's uncle?], 11/07/1969; letter from James Mitchell Wright, Sydney, Nova Scotia and reply which gave vote tally, which showed MR got 3rd and final seat, 27/06-12/10/1969; typed copies of letters sent by MR to potential voters; typed list of potential voters in County Cavan. Election address flyers from William Bedell Stanford, William A Dillon, Dr Owen Sheehy Skeffington (1965 Senate election), for John N Ross (year not listed) and for MR (1969).

Correspondence between David Trimble, Ulster Unionist Party and Michael Posner, Executive Director, Human Rights First re comments Trimble made at First International Congress of Terrorism Victims in Madrid, January 2004, 06-17/02/2004; article "Diversity, Identity and Loss Among the Irish Diaspora", Irish Studies Review journal, 2007, by Brian Walker, Department of Politics, International Studies and Philosophy, Queen's University, Belfast, with cover letter from Walker to Mary Robinson, 24/10/2007; printout of email from Inez McCormack in relation to "Right to Housing" briefing (work by Seven Towers residents group), and press opportunities MR was doing for Amnesty in Belfast, 03/05/2011.

Letter from Michael Posner, Executive Director, Lawyers Committee for Human Rights, to Peter Mandelson, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, conveying concern about proposed Northern Ireland Police Bill which they felt did not reflect the Patten Commission's vision for police reform, with cover letter from Lisa Laplante to Mary Robinson (MR), in her role as United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, 16-22/06/2000, and photocopy of letter from MR to United Kingdom Prime Minister Tony Blair (TB), expressing same concern, 04/07/2000; further letters from MR to TB expressing need for establishment of an independent Human Rights Commission in Northern Ireland, 18/06/1998, 16/07/2001; photocopy of letter from Ciarán Ó Maoláin, Research Worker, Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission to Kevin Lyne, Second Secretary, UK permanent mission, in relation to "International human rights treaty monitoring process", with cover letter sent to MR, 13/05/2002.

Material in this subsubsubseries consists of correspondence sent and received by Mary Robinson (MR) in her role as Senator in Seanad Éireann [Irish Senate], including leading up to elections. It is arranged chronologically and includes correspondence with members of the public in relation to the Family Planning Bill 1973 (relating to removal of contraception ban) (P143/2/2/1/2/3), divorce laws and double taxation issues faced by those living and working on different sides of the border with Northern Ireland, (P143/2/2/1/2/7), and MR's stance on articles 2 and 3 of Irish constitution [which had laid territorial claim to Northern Ireland] and MR not running again for place in Seanad Éireann (P143/2/2/1/2/8).

[Archivist's note: some material in this section overlaps with P143/1/3/1]

Correspondence relating to Northern Ireland arranged chronologically across two files covering the period 1998-2002 (P143/2/3/2/1) and 2004-2011 (P143/2/3/2/2).

"Changing Skies - Writing Through the Climate Crisis", publication for Creative Nonfiction programme "Writing And Rhetoric and Mission Zero", University of Colorado, Boulder, 2022, with business card attached for Scott King, Executive director, Mission Zero.

Reports relating to the Anglo-Irish Agreement 1985-1989 including copies of the Anglo-Irish Agreement, 11/1985; "Anglo-Irish Encounter" conference on the role of the churches in British-Irish Relationships, Dublin, 26-27/11/1985; "Parliamentary Sovereignty And Northern Ireland - A Review of the party system in the British Constitution, with relation to the Anglo-Irish Agreement", Brendan Clifford, 11/1985; official report of parliamentary debates in Seanad Éireann for 27/11/1985, on Anglo-Irish Agreement motion, including Senator Mary Robinson's address; Co-operation North Annual Report 1985; "Why Unionists Say No" with cover letter from Sylvia Meehan, Chairperson, Employment Equality Agency, 1985; "Parliamentary Despotism - John Hume's Aspiration", Brendan Clifford, 01/1986; "Church & State - A Forum of Irish Secular Opinion", issue 21, Spring 1986 with flyer enclosed for The Social Study conference on theme "Reconciliation in Northern Ireland", Naas, August 1986; "A Better Deal Together", Campaign for a Devolved Government, 198[6?]; "Anglo-Irish Encounter" conference on the role of the media in British-Irish Relationships, London, 19/03/1986; pamphlets including "I am An Irish dimension (A Prod's-Eye-View of Northern Ireland", Vera E Nevin, 1986; "The Democratic Socialist" discussion journal vol 3 no 1, Autumn 1986, with cover letter from Martin McGarry, Secretary, 19/11/1986; newsletter "Unionist", issue 8, [12/1987]; The Record of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York (journal), with article "Criminal Justice and human rights in Northern Ireland", William E Hellerstein, Robert B McKay, Petr R Schlam, 03/1988; "The Courage of the brave - The Anglo-Irish Agreement a Politico-military Analysis", James Kelly 1989.