Press cuttings, statements, interviews and photographs relating to Northern Ireland, arranged chronologically across five files.

Ref: P143/4/16/4

Material relating to President Mary Robinson's visit to Great Britain, 04-07/06/1996 including confidential brief from Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) containing embassy overview note, and notes on political developments in Northern Ireland, prisoners in Britain, Emergency legislation, cultural relations with Britain, Ireland's Presidency priorities [of the European Union, July-December 1996], and bilateral economic relations with Britain; bound background notes from DFA covering biographies, The Prince's Trust, Westminster Cathedral, No. 10 Downing Street, British Council, Guildhall, influential Irish in Britain, Buckingham Palace (Guard of Honour), South Camden Community School, Lancaster House, York Minster, Jorvik Viking Centre, Fairfax House and Castle Howard; official menu for luncheon at 10 Downing Street, in honour of President Robinson's visit, 05/06/1996, signed to Robinsons from John and Norma Major.

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

Material relating to President Mary Robinson's State visit to Japan, 19-28/02/1995, consisting of background brief and speaking notes covering the Imperial Family, call on Governor of Nara, visit to Todaiji Temple and Horyuji Temple, reception for Irish Community hosted at residence of Ambassador and Mrs Sharkey, courtesy call by the NEC [electronics manufacturer headquartered in Japan with semiconductor plant in Ballivor, Co. Meath], courtesy call by Grelan Pharmaceutical [including re project to open plant in Wicklow], luncheon hosted by Nikkeiran on behalf of Japanese Economic Organisations, courtesy call by distinguished Japanese women including UNIFEM National Committee Japan President, Ms Michiko Nakamura, courtesy call by Dai Nippon Printing [including in relation to talks between them as biggest Media company in the world, and Forbairt, Ireland], courtesy call by Ireland Fund, Japan, courtesy call by Governor of Saitama Prefecture, visit to the Diet and the Supreme Court, meeting with and dinner hosted by Prime Minister Murayama, courtesy call by Governor of Tokyo, Mr Suzuki, visit to Ireland House, visit to Sophia University, courtesy call by President of the Tokyo University for Fine Arts and Music, Professor Ikuo Hirayama, re Chester Beatty restoration, An Bord Tráchtála [Irish Trade Board] luncheon, press conference at National Press Club, visit to Hiroshima, reception hosted by Mr Sumita, Governor of Shimane Prefecture, and Mr Toshio Miyaoka, Mayor of Matsue, visit to Lafcadio Hearn museum and former home, tour of Matsue Castle, visit to Izumo Taisha shrine, luncheon at Shimane Winery Restaurant, and visit to Osaka.

Ref: P154/4/5/3/5/2

Material in this subseries relates to Northern Ireland, the ongoing conflict and efforts to bring peace to the region. It is further subdivided into five subsubseries covering reports and background information (P143/4/16/1), correspondence (P143/4/16/2), events and conferences (P143/4/16/3), press statements, interviews, cuttings and photographs (P143/4/15/4) and Co-operation North (P143/4/15/5). As per themes listed out in minutes in P143/9/2/1, MR sought to extend hand of friendship and love to both communities in Northern Ireland "with no strings attached, no hidden agenda", and over the term of her presidency she would visit Northern Ireland 17 times. Material here overlaps with material throughout this series relating to Northern Ireland including P143/4/5, P143/4/6, P143/4/8, P143/4/9 and P143/4/18 as well as elsewhere in the collection.

Ref: P143/4/16

Material relating to the Matrimonial Home Bill [aiming to give each Spouse equal rights to house ownership], including typed memo from Peter Ryan, Secretary to the President, to President Mary Robinson (MR) noting Bill had been passed in the Seanad [Seanad Éireann, Irish Senate] with one amendment and was expected to be taken by the Dáil [Dáil Éireann, lower house of Irish parliament] later in the month, with background information on some of the issues and recommendation MR refer Bill to Supreme Court, 04/11/1993; original typed decision of Supreme Court, which found proposed Bill "repugnant to the Constitution", and signed by Chief Justice Finlay, 24/01/1994; A3 photocopy of legal declaration by President of Ireland to Chairman of Seanad Éireann, declining to sign Bill based on Supreme Court's finding, [January?] 1994.

Ref: P143/4/14/4

Material relating to the Local Government (Planning and Development) Bill, 1993 including various Supreme Court Judgements sent to Bride [Rosney, Special Adviser to the President] by Emer Colleran, An Taisce, 30/05/1993; fax from Colleran with more background information and commentary on issues with the Bill, and note that she was "not trying to influence", 04/06/1993; fax from An Taisce of letter they sent to Minister Michael Smith, TD, Minister for the Environment, in which they lay out issues they had with Bill, 04/06/1993; memo from Peter Ryan, Secretary to the President, to President Mary Robinson in relation to the timing of when Bill would be presented for signature, the issues with it and his contention that they were more political than legal, along with copies of Bill which had passed the Dáil [Dáil Éireann, lower house of Irish parliament] and cuttings relating to criticism Bill was facing, 10-11/06/1993.

Ref: P143/4/14/5

This subseries consists of correspondence and other material relating to legal issues and responsibilities attached to role of President of Ireland, the signing of several bills. Material includes that relating to the Referendum (Amendment) Bill, 1992 (P143/4/14/2), Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill, 1993 (P143/4/14/3), Matrimonial Home Bill (P143/4/14/4), Local Government (Planning and Development) Bill, 1993 (P143/4/14/5), Regulation of Information (Services Outside the State for Termination of Pregnancies), Bill, 1995 (P143/4/14/6), The Employment Equality Bill, 1996 (P143/4/14/7), The Equal Status Bill, 1997 (P143/4/14/8), Mary Robinson resigning as president (P143/4/14/10), dissolution of Dáil Éireann (P143/4/14/11), Council of State (P143/4/14/12), compilation lists of Irish Cases (P143/4/14/13) and Dáil acts passed (P143/4/14/14).
Ref: P143/4/14

Correspondence relating to legal issues and responsibilities of role of President of Ireland including typed memo from Micheál [?] on the procedures for the appointment of The Judge Advocate by the President, with copy of Section 15 of the Defence Act 1954, 06/12/1990; handwritten note from Peter Ryan (PR), Secretary to the President, flagging that section 8 of the Adoption Bill was causing concern and attaching photocopy of Dáil debates where the Adoption Bill was discussed, 08-28/05/1991; typed memos from PR to Ann Lane, Personal Assistant to the President, in relation to the appointment of two High Court Judges, at Áras an Uachtaráin [official residence of the President of Ireland], later in the year, 16-20/09/1991; photocopy of Government press release on Taoiseach [Irish Prime Minister]'s nominees for Seanad Éireann [Irish Senate], 10/02/1993; draft text for appointment by MR of Professor Roger Stalley, as Trustee of Chester Beatty Library, 1993; typed memos from Peter Ryan (PR) to Mary Robinson (MR) in relation to proposal from Government to introduce urgent Bill to close loophole in connection with drink driving cases, 23/06/1993, in relation to legislation re "Somalia Peace Enforcement", 24/06/1993, in relation to referral of two bills to the Supreme Court (The Matrimonial Home Bill, 1993 and The Criminal Law (Public Order) Bill, 1993), 11/10/1993, and in relation to the presentation for signature of the Matrimonial Home Bill, 1993, 23/11/1993; photocopy of correspondence between Patrick Boland, Managing Director, Sonas Publishing Company Ltd., and Joseph Brennan, Deputy Secretary to the President, in which Boland had gifted a photo-painting of MR, and planned, without approval, to include it in "The Sonas Collection", and which was being returned unopened, as the project would "present fundamental difficulties insofar as the Office of the President was concerned", with Brennan noting that should the project proceed, the provision of Section 65 of The Trade Marks Act, 1963 would need to be taken into account, and all publicity and advertising would need to clearly state project had not received approval or been sanctioned by the President, 14/07/1994; photocopy of letter from Harold A Whelan to Taoiseach resigning from the Office of Attorney General following his nomination by the Government for appointment by MR to the Office of President of the High Court, of official statement in Irish from Government advising MR as President to accept his resignation, and photocopy of MR's acceptance of the resignation, 11/11/1994; photocopy of Government press release "Establishment of Constitution Review Group", under chairmanship of Dr TK Whitaker, 27/04/1995; typed document from Dept of the Environment, sent to MR, giving results of the Referendum of 24 November 1995 [15th Amendment Dissolution of Marriage: removed the constitutional prohibition on divorce, and allowed for the dissolution of a marriage provided specified conditions were satisfied], with cover note from Colm Butler noting the Bill had not been presented yet for signature, 14-15/06/1996 [it was signed on 17th]; typed note from PR relating to the Family Law (Divorce) Bill, 1996, giving reasoning behind MR's decision not to consult with the Council of State on it or refer it to the Supreme Court, 22/11/1996; correspondence between MR and Ms Annette O'Connell, Registrar, Tribunal of Inquiry (Dunnes Payments), in which MR responds that she had not personally received any payment from Dunnes Holding Company, and that she had become aware a donation was made to the Labour party for her Presidential campaign, which would need to be queried directly Mr Ruairi Quinn, Director of Elections, 03-11/03/1997.

Ref: P143/4/14/1

Blue leather-covered book with gold edging and lettering, in English and Irish, giving history of Áras an Uachtaráin and its inhabitants, produced during President Mary Robinson (MR)'s successor President Mary McAleese's term of office, and presented in blue leather custom case, with State emblem, the Harp, embossed on cover.

[Archivist' Note: While work to update the building and grounds is covered in this book, very little reference is made to the substantial work that was instigated by MR and NR and carried out during MR's presidency, apart from brief reference to the Visitor Centre being opened.]

Ref: P143/4/10/9

Correspondence and other material relating to gifts given and received, and presentations made in 1997 in connection with Mary Robinson (MR)'s presidency, including photograph (removed from frame at some stage) of Michael Collins, presented to MR by Michael Noel Griffin, Chairman, Michael Collins Association, London, on 25/01/1997; typed letter from Paul M Kennedy, Dilworth Professor of History, Director, International Security Studies, New Haven, CT, United States of America (USA), thanking Robinsons for gift of work on Edmund Burke and a caricature [by Nick Robinson?], 13/02/1997; letter from Mr Rory MacLean which accompanied his book "The Oatmeal Ark", with copy of typed response from MR, 18/01-17/02/1997; typed letter from Charley Clarke, Department of Economics, St. John's University, Jamaica, New York, USA, thanking MR for visit to Áras an Uachtaráin (Áras) [official residence of the President of Ireland], and which had accompanied a jar of maple syrup, 28/04/1997; typed letter from Mai O'Brien thanking MR for invite to the May day celebration in Áras, and enclosing a poem she had written for MR, 02/06/1997; handwritten note from Office of the Aide-de-Camp which had accompanied a book which was to be passed on to MR from Ms Lindsey Daly, Caragh N.S. [National School?], and which featured a photograph of MR with Daly's grandfather, 04/06/1997; label in black calligraphy and brass plate, which was originally on a presentation bottle of Columba Cream Liqueur, commemorating the 1400th anniversary of death of Saint Columba [aka Colmcille], and presented to MR at Fionnphort, Isle of Mull, 08/06/1997; "The Great Famine": black plastic folder with pages inserted in each plastic sleeve covering the cartography of the Famine, presented to MR on 14 June 1997 at garden party at Áras by Eoghan Ó Riagáin, and including thank-you letter from MR, 25/04-16/06/1997; letter from Mary O'Rourke, TD, Minister for Public Enterprise, who had served on MR's Council of State, thanking MR for her letter and gift prior to departing Office of the President of Ireland, 02/10/1997.

See also P143/4/13/9.

Ref: P143/4/13/8