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Welcomed to the ̽��ֱ�� and College by the Provost of King’s College Dame Judith Mayhew-Jonas, President McAleese was greeted in the College’s Great Hall with music from King’s Choristers.

̽��ֱ��Cambridge ̽��ֱ�� Ireland Society was created in 2004 by a group of students who wished to foster a more supportive environment for those who have come from Ireland, both north and south of the border, to study in Cambridge.

̽��ֱ��society has created a network across the university and will give students from Ireland an opportunity to use their talents to promote the cultures of Ireland, with the support of fellow students.

̽��ֱ��society’s aims are to foster awareness and appreciation of Ireland within the university, create a support network for students from Ireland, and those with Irish connections, and promote the cultures of Ireland in a spirit of inclusiveness with the goal of mutual understanding.

During her opening speech, President McAleese said: “This society is the gift of a confident generation of young Irish men and women, proud of their identity, heritage and culture, anxious to share it with their alma mater and to honour that great Irish tradition of community by creating a network of support and friendship that is open to all and welcoming of all.”

Mary McAleese was inaugurated as the eighth President of Ireland on 11th November 1997. She is a barrister and former Professor of Law. Born in 1951, she is the first President to come from Northern Ireland. She is married, since 1976, to Dr Martin McAleese, an accountant and dentist. They have three children, Emma, and twins Justin and SaraMai.

̽��ֱ��eldest of nine children, President McAleese grew up in Northern Ireland through the violent times that have come to be known as ‘ ̽��ֱ��Troubles’. Her family was one of many adversely affected by the conflict. She graduated in Law from the Queen’s ̽��ֱ�� of Belfast in 1973 and was called to the Northern Ireland Bar in 1974. In 1975, she was appointed Reid Professor of Criminal Law, Criminology and Penology at Trinity College Dublin and in 1987, she returned to her Alma Mater, Queen’s, to become Director of the Institute of Professional Legal Studies. In 1994, she became the first female Pro-Vice Chancellor of the Queen’s ̽��ֱ�� of Belfast.

President McAleese is an experienced broadcaster, having worked as a current affairs journalist and presenter in radio and television with Radio Telefís Éireann. She has a longstanding interest in many issues concerned with justice, equality, social inclusion, anti-sectarianism and reconciliation. ̽��ֱ��theme of her Presidency is ‘Building Bridges’.