There’s something about Mary Robinson

Published: Thursday, December 17, 2009

There's something about Mary Robinson. As one of the world's leading human rights activists, she is a formidable woman and an outstandingly brave one. She moves among world leaders with gracious ease. But she has never forgotten what she learned from Mna na hEireann in her years of work as a lawyer and as our President. She has not lost her belief in the importance of the local, the power of the individual to change lives, to change communities and to change the world.

President Obama said of those he honoured with the medal of freedom that they had blazed trails and broken down barriers. We recognise our Mary Robinson in that. He spoke of her as an advocate for the hungry, the hunted, the forgotten and the ignored. He described her as a crusader for women and those without a voice in Ireland.

At this terrible time for women in Ireland, we rely on her to inspire our own crusades against cuts and closures which are threatening the women's movement, a movement in which Mary Robinson played such an important part, and in which she took such pride.

And we are so proud of her. For all she's done, and for all she is doing. We all gasped when she nearly tripped on her way to get the medal. We beamed when she recovered her sure step and told the world that we must not allow ourselves to become over familiar with or lose sight of the intolerable - and the intolerable in this country at this time includes men queuing up to shake hands with a convicted sexual attacker. It includes bishops refusing to take responsibility for the sexual abuse of children by priests.
And Mary Robinson also told us that we must all accept the challenge posed by President Obama and act as agents of change.

The National Women's Council of Ireland invited Lord Mayor Emer Costello to join us in organising this event for Mary Robinson, and the Lord Mayor immediately accepted, because we want to celebrate this great Irish woman, this great woman of the world. We also need her strength and courage behind us at this time in this country. As President Obama said, she has not only shone a light on human suffering, she has illuminated a better future for the world.

I have travelled a bit to countries where there is poverty and where women bear the brunt of wars and of inequality, often expressed through violence against them. I don't think I've been anywhere that Mary Robinson hasn't also been - it is quite amazing how she gets about so much. When people hear you are from Ireland in such places, they often say, Oh Ireland, Mary Robinson. And they smile. No matter how bad things are in their lives. They smile because they need change, and Mary Robinson is a force for change. They smile because there is something about Mary Robinson that makes you smile. She's great, she lets us know that bad times can yield to good, and that with courage and integrity, everything is possible. We love her for that - and we thank her for coming here tonight to warm up our bleak mid winter with her inspiring presence.