Irish President Mary Robinson

Mary Robinson (right) served as the seventh, and first female president of Ireland (1990-1997); she was appointed the U.N. Commissioner for Human Rights (1997-2002). In her memoir, Everybody Matters: My Life Giving Voice, she writes of her pioneering work on behalf of women’s rights, the separation of church and state, and world peace. Mary Robinson's social advocacy also includes Oxfam, the GAVI Alliance, vaccinating children worldwide, and the Council of Women World Leaders, and she is one of the “Elders,” led by Nelson Mandela dedicated to bringing peace and justice.

What Mary said: everyone matters—that the individual is capable of changing society, the the world. Law and morality. Very empowering. Got a chance to chat with Mary at the end. Someone took a photo of us together, lovely. Thanks to Jane Bark for driving me to Book Passages!

That makes two Irish presidents I've met—Mary McAleece. I will have to dig up my notes (make that three as I later met Michael Higgins at Stanford.) We also met the, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, the inimitable Mo Mowlam at UC Berkeley ca. 2000—she was a real firecracker. I have NOT, however, met, nor will I ever wish to meet Margaret Thatcher. Not in heaven, nor in hell.

My grandfather knew Taoiseach Éamon de Valera, Ireland's first president of Dáil Éireannm and met him in San Francisco during the Irish War of Independence. Somewhere, there is a lost photo of them together, leaning on a car. We have a photo of Liam Mallows in our lower field.