Correspondence and other material relating to gifts given and received at some stage during Mary Robinson (MR)'s presidency (1990-1997), including two thank-you cards which had accompanied bouquets of flowers, from Desmond Doherty, and from the trainees in "The Sheltered Workshop", [Carndonagh?]; compliment slip from "all the community Care girls", Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, Service for the Mentally Handicapped Children and Adults Community Care Programme, which had accompanied a tapestry made by "Patsy"; handwritten letter from Patricia [Lordan / Gordan?] which had accompanied a painting by her following or during a visit to Kinsale, County (Co.) Cork; photocopy of poem about President Robinson, written by pupils of Athleague National School, Co. Roscommon; two cards with pressed flowers on front, which had accompanied gifts to MR during her visit to Rwanda, from Jeannette Kagame, President of the [Ardec/Ardel?] site and wife of Vice President of Republic of Rwanda, Paul Kagame and from Kagame family.

Ref: P143/4/13/11

Card [which most likely accompanied a bouquet of flowers] congratulating President Mary Robinson (MR) on becoming president, [12?]/199[0?], from Christina McDonagh; handwritten letter from Maura Shanahan, Bambury, Dalkey, County Dublin in relation to a choice of Robert Clergerie shoes/boots Shanahan was offering, 19/11/1990; photocopies of correspondence between MR and Mr Michael and Mrs Patricia Mortell, Michael Mortell Ltd., relating to raincoat from their latest collection they gifted her, 23/11-07/12/1990; card from Evelyn Williams, Dublin 24, which had accompanied a piece of crochet, and photocopy of thank-you letter to Williams from Ann Lane, Personal Assistant to the President, on behalf of MR, 12/12/1990.

Ref: P143/4/13/1

This subseries consists of material relating to gifts given and received, and presentations made during Mary Robinson (MR)'s term as President of Ireland, 1990-1997, and is arranged chronologically.

Ref: P143/4/13

General correspondence to and from President Mary Robinson (MR), and other presidency related material, 1997, including card from Stan [St Stanislaus Kennedy, President, Focus Ireland], sending best wishes including in relation to MR's task of deciding whether to stay for second term of office or move on to other work, 11/01/1997; text of address by Sir Shridath Ramphal to the Commonwealth Countries League, sent to Bride Rosney, Special Adviser to the President, by Terry Dormer, Commonwealth Secretariat, with photocopy of response, 14-20/1997; typed letter from John Kennedy thanking MR for best wishes on his appointment as a Deputy Lieutenant of the County of Greater Manchester, 02/04/1997; typed letter from Seán Sweeney [co-executor of James Joyce's estate], apologising for missing MR's visit to Nora Barnacle House in Galway, 08/05/1997; handwritten letter from Mary Gallagher thanking Robinsons for visiting the Nora Barnacle House, 28/05/1997; correspondence from Enda [McDonagh, Professor of Moral Theology and Canon Law at St Patrick's College Maynooth, and official chaplain for MR while President] congratulating her on appointment as United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (HCHR), 13/06/1997; handwritten postcard from ben Whitaker wishing MR all the best in Geneva, following her appointment as United Nations HCHR, 26/07/1997; handwritten letter of congratulations from John Nankivell [artist] and his wife Annie on news of MR's appointment as HCHR at United Nations, with photocopy of response, 07-11/09/1997; handwritten letter from [Dame] Jennifer Jenkins, [Chair of the National Trust] thanking MR for inviting her, [her husband, Roy Jenkins, former Labour politician and Chancellor of University of Oxford], and the Augleseys to lunch on St Patrick's Day at Aras an Uachtaráin, 19/11/1997.

Ref: P143/4/6/7/8

General correspondence to and from President Mary Robinson (MR), and other presidency related material, 1996 including typed letter from anonymised person who attended Alcoholics Anonymous, detailing how they had given up drinking through the help of AA, wishing MR to know what AA had done for her, and mentioned canvassing for MR, 13/01/1996; best wishes note from Italian Senator Francesco Cossiga during visit to Dublin, and unofficial translation, 17/06/1996; typed memo from Colm Butler to Nick Robinson in relation to Christmas Card requirement, including theme/subject for 1996, 16/07/1996; typed letter from Peter D Sutherland [Irish businessman, barrister and Fine Gael politician], thanking MR for inviting him and his wife Maruja on visit to Washington, 01/08/1996; handwritten letter from Noel Dorr [Secretary Dept of Foreign Affairs] thanking MR for gift of Declan Kilber's book "Inventing Ireland", 07/08/1996; handwritten letter from Mary O'Donoghue, Tuam, Co. Galway thanking MR for sending representative to [her husband?] Noel's funeral [acting State Solicitor], 21/08/1996; handwritten letter from Brian Urquhart regarding death of Erskine Childers and referring to their meeting with MR in 1995 [see P143/4/6/7/5], 01/09/1996; handwritten thank-you from Elizabeth Longford for message Robinsons sent for her 90th birthday, 14/09/1996; handwritten letter from Stephen Joyce, Paris/La Flotte-en-Ré, [grandson of James Joyce and the executor of Joyce's literary estate] regarding "Joyce Images" book and meeting in Galway in 1997, 17/09/1996; handwritten letter from Seán Sweeney [co-executor of James Joyce Estate] in relation to possibility of meeting Robinsons at the Nora Barnacle house in Galway in the future, or visiting them in Mayo, 13/09/1996; fax from Moya McHugh, Druid Theatre, on behalf of Garry [Hynes?], with details of and tour schedule for show "The Beauty Queen of Leenane", and mentioning that writer Martin McDonagh had been nominated for "Most Promising Writer", 30/10/1996.

Ref: P143/4/6/7/7

General correspondence to and from President Mary Robinson (MR), and other presidency related material, 1995, including handwritten letter from Nicky Furlong with paper "Who fears to Speak? Wexford Rebellion, Local or cosmopolitan?", which he contributed to Seminar on 1798 in Wexford, 07/03/1995; response from Bride Rosney to query from John Healy on MR's travel and cost of same, listing all visits overseas and annual expenditure, 07/03/1995; typed letter from Prof Joseph Rotblat FRS, President, Pugwash Conference on Science and World Affairs, London, thanking her for congratulating them on Nobel Peace Prize, 23/10/1995; handwritten letter and Christmas card from Mary O'Donoghue, Tuam, County Galway, including in relation to her speech to the Houses of the Oireachtas on Irish Diaspora, 20/12/1995.

Ref: P143/4/6/7/6

General correspondence to and from President Mary Robinson (MR), and other presidency related material, 1994, including draft letter and background material for message to Mayor George Millen, Tucson, Arizona, USA on day commemorating the founding of the city by Hugh O'Conor, in 1775, 06/02/1994; photocopy of letter from Shobhana Ranade, President, All India Women's Conference, thanking MR for sending inspiring message, for annual session in January, 22/02/1994; typed letter from Dervla Murphy [Irish touring cyclist and author of adventure travel books] following her hearing of speech MR gave at Harvard which went on Congressional Record, which refers to Murphy's travels including South Africa, and her writing of same, and also mentions MR's work "you have always excelled at pleading for the underdog and as President you have shifted the thinking of the ordinary people of Ireland...you really have significantly changed Ireland - so why not go on to change the world?", with response from MR 28/03-15/04/1994; correspondence relating to the United Nations (UN) including letter from Professor Dr Hans Küng regarding address MR gave to Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, and 50th anniversary of UN in 1995, text of speeches given by Richard Butler, Permanent Representative of Australia to the UN on UN in 21st century, notes on meeting between MR, Erskine Childers and Sir Brian Urquhart in New York, October 1994, and correspondence between Mr Boutros Boutros-Ghali, Secretary General of the UN and MR in relation to Ireland's ratification of UN human rights treaties and their protocols, 06/07/1994-12/1/1995; correspondence between Walter JP Curley, former US Ambassador to Ireland, his with Mary and MR relating to their visit to Ireland, meeting at the IIE 75th Anniversary Forum, and in relation to the death of their son James, 11/08-07/11/1994.

Ref: P143/4/6/7/5

General correspondence to and from President Mary Robinson (MR), and other presidency related material, 1993, including correspondence from Dr Emer Colleran [an Irish microbiologist, academic and an environmental advocate, professor of microbiology at the National University of Ireland, Galway and one of MR's nominees on the Council of State] relating to the Magna Carta of Duties Group (in cooperation with the United Nations Environment Programme), 17/01-05/03/1993; thank-you card from Mary [Spreng-Wartney?] to MR for sending copy of her book on Somalia, 16/02/1993; correspondence with Mary O'Donoghue, Tuam, County Galway, including a copy of the "The Great Tuam Annual 1993" with photograph of MR on back with Mayoress of Tuam on visit on 9th December 1992, and references to books sent between O'Donoghue and MR, 16/02-15/10/1993 ("Architect or Bee", Mike Cooley, sent to MR, and MR's book on Somalia sent to O'Donoghue's sister); letter from Archdeacon Cathal McCarthy letting MR know he would be missing her son Aubrey's confirmation, with photocopy of response from MR stating she too would be missing it as she had to represent Ireland at funderal of President of Turkey, 18-19/04/1993; typed letter from Ben Briscoe, TD, Dáil Éireann, marked personal and confidential, congratulating MR on "the wonderful job" she was doing and on her visit to Belfast, including the choice she made to shake hands with Gerry Adams: "By refusing to shake hands with him I think you would have created a greater controversy and I have no doubt that the media would have sold more papers", with photocopy of draft response, 28-30/06/1993; correspondence with Mrs Lavone D Andrews, Houston, Texas, in relation to invitation which Robinsons accepted to stay in her private apartment at Knappogue Castle, 04-08/07/1993; correspondence from Dermot Kinlen relating to reception MR put on for his retirement from the bar, and to a representative attending funeral of Aileen Kinlen [mother?], Summer - [November?]/1993.

Ref: P143/4/6/7/4

General correspondence to and from President Mary Robinson (MR), and other presidency related material, 1992, including typed letter from Joe R McRay relating to a private dinner in San Francisco, and a tentative line-up of Irish forum events, 07/01/1992; handwritten letter from Leo, Mary and Loftus family, Ballina, Co Mayo congratulating both Robinsons on work they were doing, 10/05/1992; correspondence from Mr Justice Declan Budd enclosing a photocopy of a letter he came across while going through "Hist Bicentenary records" [Trinity College Historical Society] which was from MR (then Mary Bourke, Senator) to Ian Ashe, Auditor of the society, in 1970, thanking Ian and congratulating him on various bicentennial functions, as well as two letters from Budd in 1992 inviting MR to attend St Columba's College 150th anniversary, with reply from MR apologising for having to decline, 11/03/1970-15/07/1992; material relating to design and printing of new Christmas Card for 1992, including correspondence between Nick Robinson and artist John Nankivell who did pencil drawing of Áras an Uachtaráin [official residence of the President of Ireland] for card, correspondence from Peter Ryan to Nick, in relation to printing costs and deadlines, several copies of new card and samples of older Christmas cards from the Áras, 19[90?]-14/11/1992; typed letter from Michael O'Leary to Bride Rosney, Special Adviser to the President, flagging that Dr AJ McConnell, retired Provost of Trinity College, was going to be 89 years old and requesting MR send birthday card as he was quite elderly and infirm, with note from A[nn] Lane that card was sent, 09-16/11/1992; typed letter from Peter Maguire, S.C. who was guest of Richard M Flynn, Chairman of the New York Power Authority at 95th annual dinner of the American Irish Historical Society, in which Maguire alerted MR to Flynn's acceptance speech for 1992 Gold Medal, during which he quoted from her inauguration speech, where she in turn had quoted Irish poet, Séamus Heaney 12/11/1992.

Ref: P143/4/6/7/3

General correspondence to and from President Mary Robinson (MR), 1991, including handwritten and typed correspondence from Niall Crowley [Equality and HR expert who later was Chief Executive of Equality Authority] thanking MR for various invites, and complimenting her on her Presidency, including one letter which refers to an address she gave at The Allan Lane Lecture, Trinity College Dublin, to the cross section of invitees including from Northern Ireland and from the "Travelling community" and to a launch [possibly news of the President Robinson Awards for the Design of Travellers' Accommodation (see P143/4/6/6/2)]; photocopy of letter sent by Ann Lane, Personal Assistant to the President, to Peter Doyle, Commission of the European Communities, thanking him for congratulating MR on her election and apologising for delay in response, 05/06/1991.

Ref: P143/4/6/7/2