UNIVERSITY OF BRISTOL
Media release
President of Ireland awarded honorary degree

Mary McAleese, President of Ireland was awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Laws at a special lunchtime ceremony in the Great Hall, Wills Memorial Building on Wednesday 4 December 2002.

The Public Orator, Professor Patricia Broadfoot, Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the University described her as "an outstanding academic, an influential writer, a successful lawyer, an accomplished communicator; a campaigner for justice; and a fearless fighter in the cause of reconciliation".

In a special address, the President said: "I am deeply honoured to receive the Degree of Doctor of Laws from a University I have long admired and respected and grateful for this opportunity to revisit the city John Betjemen aptly described as 'the most beautiful, interesting and distinguished city in England'.

"There is no doubt Bristol has a unique atmosphere, an elegance and an intimacy which is in no small part due to the University with its striking architecture and the energy created by its community of scholars. "

Mary McAleese was inaugurated as the eighth President of Ireland on 11th November 1997. She is a barrister and former Professor of Law. Born on June 27th 1951 in Belfast, she is the first Irish President to come from Northern Ireland. She graduated in Law from the Queen's University of Belfast in 1973 and was called to the Northern Ireland Bar in 1974. In 1994, she became the first female Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the Queen's University of Belfast.

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Email: public-relations@bristol.ac.uk
Copyright: 2002 The University of Bristol, UK
Updated: Thursday, 05-Dec-2002 11:06:48 GMT