Material relating to President Mary Robinson's visit to Great Britain, 04-07/06/1996 including confidential brief from Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) containing embassy overview note, and notes on political developments in Northern Ireland, prisoners in Britain, Emergency legislation, cultural relations with Britain, Ireland's Presidency priorities [of the European Union, July-December 1996], and bilateral economic relations with Britain; bound background notes from DFA covering biographies, The Prince's Trust, Westminster Cathedral, No. 10 Downing Street, British Council, Guildhall, influential Irish in Britain, Buckingham Palace (Guard of Honour), South Camden Community School, Lancaster House, York Minster, Jorvik Viking Centre, Fairfax House and Castle Howard; official menu for luncheon at 10 Downing Street, in honour of President Robinson's visit, 05/06/1996, signed to Robinsons from John and Norma Major.

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Áras correspondence 1992.

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Correspondence mainly to President Mary Robinson (MR) from Peter Ryan (PR), Secretary to the President, including note on procedures and protocols for the appointment of Taoiseach Albert Reynolds and Government [after Fianna Fáil formed a coalition with Labour to form a new Government following general Election of 1992], with list of new ministers of cabinet, 12/01/1993; photocopy of thank you letter from Dermot Nally to MR following her good will message to him on his retirement, 25/01/1993; briefing notes on meeting with Taoiseach covering topics including Northern Ireland, visit to the UK, and other outward visits, 28/01/1993; note from Joseph Brennan (JB), [Deputy Secretary to the President], to PR re phone call from Chief of Protocol re University of Oxford conferring honorary degree on MR, 29/01/1993; faxed copy of note prepared by Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on recent Council of Europe Human Rights conference at which MR was General Rapporteur, 01-03/02/1993; note re Council of Europe invitation to President to preside over meeting (no details), which government advised MR not to accept, [02/1993?]; briefing note re meeting with Taoiseach covering topics including Northern Ireland, visit to the UK, and other outward and inward visits, 04/02/1993; note from JB stating that Princess Anne, Princess Royal of the British Royal family, was visiting Dublin in a private capacity that day, 04/02/1993; photocopy of letter from Frank Murray, Secretary to the Government, to Noel Dorr, Secretary DFA, in relation to question of courtesy call by MR to the Queen during her visit to Oxford and London, May 1993, 15/02/1993.

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Correspondence mainly to President Mary Robinson (MR) from Peter Ryan (PR), Secretary to the President, including note from John [?] that Lt Col at Baldonnel was highest ranking Aer Corps Officer in State at time of unreferenced trip, that the Europa Hotel [Belfast, Northern Ireland], had apologised for flying no flag during visit, and attaching text of speech given by Dr Martin Mansergh, Head of Research, Fianna Fáil, to the Parnell Society on the Peace Process in Historical Perspective, at their Spring Day, Avondale, Co. Wicklow, on 22nd April, June 1995; briefing note for and notes on meeting between MR and Taoiseach John Bruton, 12th June, covering topics including recent visits by MR to European Union (EU) and United States of America (USA), progress in the peace process, Northern Ireland, and the hopes Sinn Féin might decommission weapons, United Nations (UN) 50th commemoration Special Assembly and who should attend, the success of the visit of the Prince of Wales and the forthcoming reception in October to mark 150th anniversary of the Queens Colleges at which both MR and Queen Elizabeth II were attending, and to weekly briefings MR was getting from the Department of Foreign Affairs, 12/06/1995; record of meeting between MR and Brian McKeown, head of the EU monitoring group [in Rwanda], 12/06/1995; briefing notes for and notes on meeting between MR and Taoiseach on 30th August covering topics including developments in Northern Ireland, divorce referendum, Taoiseach's visit to Canada, MR's visit to UN, USA and London, and the proposed increase in the bounty given to citizens on reaching 100 years ("Centenarians Bounty"), 28-30/08/1995; correspondence re invite from UN Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali, to MR to attend a Special Commemorative Session of the UN General Assembly in October, and PR requesting advice from Brian McCarthy, Assistant Secretary to the Government, 20/07-07/09/1995; briefing note for and notes on meeting between MR and Taoiseach on 19th September, covering topics including Rwanda and the region and MR's proposed humanitarian visit, recent talks between the Taoiseach and Loyalists groups in Northern Ireland and his visit to Canada, 14-19/09/1995; notes on meeting with Taoiseach on 15th at which he briefed MR on progress in Northern Ireland talks, 15/11/1995; notes on phone call with Taoiseach on 30th November, relating to situation in Northern Ireland, in which MR congratulated him and Government on getting an agreed communiqué and on providing context for breaking log-jam, especially before visit of President Clinton (USA) and MR's handwritten notes of call.

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Áras correspondence 1997.

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Letters from VIPs to President Mary Robinson, 1990 including letter from Frank McDonald, The Irish Times, congratulating MR on winning election, enclosing article he wrote on Áras an Uachtaráin [the official residence of the President of Ireland] and asking her to "keep the Fifties powder room!", 09/11/1990; letter of congratulations from The Hon Wendy Fatin MP, Minister for Local Government and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Status of Women, Canberra, Australia, 16/11/1990; card with pressed flowers on front, with handwritten message from Éamon de Buitléar [Irish writer, musician and film maker] to MR in Irish and English, wishing her long life and best wishes, 11/1990; handwritten letter from Gordon Wilson, thanking MR for inviting him to her inauguration, for all she stood for, for being her and stating "I was moved beyond words. Keep spreading the love", 06/12/1990; typed letter of thanks from Séamus Heaney [Irish poet, playwright and Nobel Prize winner], thanking her for the honour of the invitation to the inauguration, and noting in handwritten postscript "Trust the poet to miss the obvious: the big incandescence was to be quoted so aptly and centrally. Grandeus grandeo!", 19/12/1990.

[Archivist's note: Gordon Wilson, a draper from Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, survived the IRA bombing at Enniskillen, 08/11/1987, but lost his daughter, Marie, who died from her injuries. He became known internationally as a peace campaigner.]

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Letters to and from VIPs to President Mary Robinson, 1993 including handwritten letter from Harry Whelehan, then Attorney General, thanking MR that he was still a member of her Council of State "an ex-officio position", noting the 13th anniversary of both of them being called to the Inner Bar, was approaching and suggesting a group assemble for a dinner/lunch to celebrate, 15/01/1993; typed letter to Lord Revelstoke, thanking him for invitation to visit Lambay Island the following spring (1994), and referring to the unique architectural heritage of Lambay Castle, including wing added by architect Edwin Lutyens, 19/10/1993.

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Letters from VIPs to President Mary Robinson (MR), 1994 including handwritten letter from Harry Whelehan, then Attorney General, thanking MR for making space in her schedule for lunch and congratulating her on what he believed was a successful trip to the United States of America, 11/03/1994; handwritten letter from Máirín Lynch, wife of Jack Lynch, former Taoiseach, thanking MR for bouquet of get-well flowers she sent, which Máirín noted were in his favourite Cork colours [red and white], 21/03/1994; correspondence between Pope John Paul II, MR, Emmanuel Gerada, Apostolic Nuncio and Aidan O'Hara, Assistant Chief of Protocol, Department of Foreign Affairs, in relation to Ireland's input into International Conference on Population and Development, and the Catholic Church's "Year of the Family", 19/03-14/08/1994; typed letter from Elizabeth Smith, widow of British Labour Party politician and leader of the party, John Smith, who had passed away on 12th May 1994, thanking MR for her letter of condolence, with photocopy of MR's letter, 12-14/11/1994; typed letter from Dr Hans Küng [a Swiss Catholic priest, theologian, and author], thanking MR for a "sympathetic provisional answer with regard to a statement on the Declaration >>Towards A Global Ethic<<, promulgated by the Parliament of the World's Religions", 21/11/1994.

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Letters from the public to President Mary Robinson (MR), with some photocopies of responses, for the period following the announcement of MR as President Elect (08/11/1990) to Year End (following MR's inauguration on 06/12) including in relation to Irish language classes in Ballyferriter, Co. Kerry, (30/11/1990); poem sent by James Simmons, "Ulster Says Yes", and response from MR asking for more information on when he had written it, 11/1990-11/12/1990; correspondence from Commandant Johnny Spierin, Camp Shamrock, Tibnin, Lebanon, including in relation to postal votes arriving and a request for a photograph for the officers' mess, to replace the one of former President Hillery, 27/10-10/12/1990; typed letter from Mervyn [Taylor?], Dáil Éireann, relaying story of Fallons publishers having to scrap 25,000 copies of a school reader printed in April, and reprint with an altered page 45 [possibly referring to MR as President], 12/12/1990; handwritten postcard from Thelma Doran thanking MR for her hospitality for those involved in the organising of her inauguration, 13/12/1990.

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Handwritten letter from James Harden outlining his case and hoping she could help persuade the Council for Civil Liberties to take his case. 08/01/1991