(born 1944), Irish public official, born in Ballina; graduated from Dublin's Trinity College (1967) and Harvard Law School (1968); joined Trinity's law faculty as youngest professor in the school's history; member of Senate 1969–89; in 1990 became president of republic of Ireland, first since 1945 not from Fianna Fáil party and first woman to hold the position; advocate of legalizing divorce, contraceptives, and homosexuality; expressed sympathy for Protestants in Northern Ireland despite being Catholic; many expected her to test limits of the mainly ceremonial office