The Irish President
Born on 27 June, 1951, Mary Leneghan married Martin McAleese in 1976. They have three children, Emma, Saramai and Justin.
After graduating from Queen's University Belfast, Mary McAleese was called to the Northern Ireland Bar and practised mainly in criminal and family law.
In 1975 she was appointed Reid Professor of Criminal Law, Criminology and Penology in Trinity College Dublin, a position she held until 1979 when she joined RTÉ as a journalist and presenter. She returned to the Reid Professorship at Trinity in 1981, while still continuing part-time with RTÉ.
In 1987, Mary McAleese was appointed Director of the Institute of Professional Legal Studies which trains barristers and solicitors for the legal profession in Northern Ireland. In 1994, she was appointed a Pro-Vice Chancellor of Queen's University Belfast.On November, 11 1997, Mary McAleese was inaugurated as the eighth President of Ireland.
