Mary McAleese

Mary McAleese serves as Honorary Professor at the University of Glasgow across the School of Education and School of Critical Studies, leveraging her extensive background as former President of Ireland (1997-2014) and barrister to advance scholarship at the intersection of canon law, human rights, and Catholic Church governance.

Education:

• LLB, The Queens University of Belfast
• Barrister at Law, Inn of Court of Northern Ireland (1974)
• Barrister-at Law, King's Inns Dublin (1978)
• MA, Trinity College Dublin (1986)
• Diploma in Spanish, Institute of Linguists (1989)
• M.A (Canon Law), National University of Ireland (2010)
• JCL, JDL, Pontifical Gregorian University (2012, 2018)

Research Interests: Professor McAleese's scholarship critically examines baptismal obligations within Catholic canon law, advocating for alignment with contemporary human rights standards—particularly regarding children's rights. Her current work on synodality investigates participatory governance models in the Church, while her forthcoming publications challenge juridical interpretations of theological obligations.

Publication Trends: Recent articles demonstrate consistent focus on reforming canon law's treatment of children, analyzing tensions between divine doctrine and man-made church jurisprudence. Her work systematically deconstructs the 'christening contract' concept, arguing for separation of theological principles from enforceable canonical obligations.

Scientific Awards:

• Seamus Heaney Award in Arts and Letters (2021)
• Alfred Auer Ethics Award (2019)
• Dignité de Grand Officier de l'Ordre National du Mérite (2019)
• Tolerantia Award (2016)
• Gilbert Medal (2016)
• Praeses Elit (2015)
• Eire Society Award (2016)
• "Ally of the year" GALA award (2016)
• Premio Speciale Donna (2015)
• Ulysses Medal (2014)
• American Ireland Humanitarian Award (2013)
• Blessed are the Peacemakers Award (2013)
• Tipperary Peace Prize (2012)
• O'Connell Medal (2012)
• GALA Political Figure Award (2011)
• Freedom of the Burgh of Kilkenny (2009)
• Burns Scholar, Boston College (2013)
• Farwell Distinguished Lecturer, Luther College (2015)
• Carmel and Martin Naughton Distinguished Fellow, Notre Dame (2015)
• Distinguished Professor in Irish Studies, St. Mary's University (2016)
• Executive Fellow, Keough Institute of Global Affairs (2016)

Advising and Grants: No verifiable information regarding doctoral advisees, research grants, or funded projects appears in the source material, though her leadership of the EU Commission High Level Group on modernising third level education (2012-2015) indicates significant policy influence.

Labs and Teams: The documentation references no dedicated research laboratories or formal academic teams, though her collaborative book projects and conference participations suggest interdisciplinary scholarly networks.