The Centre for Irish Studies at Aarhus University is delighted to welcome Mary McAleese, President of Ireland from 1997-2011, to give the opening keynote address at the conference ‘Irish Migrations and Classical Antiquity’ funded by the European Research Council. McAleese, a lawyer by training, was a leading figure in generating and securing the Northern Irish Peace Process, and her career is marked by the tireless championing of social justice and human rights including, notably, LGBT recognition and reform within the Catholic Church. Trained in both civil law and canon law, McAleese has a deep understanding of the Irish diaspora experience and its historical roots in the scholastic migrations of classically-trained scholars during the early medieval period. Her most recent book, 17 Irish Martyrs traces the historical experiences from Early Modern Ireland of persecuted Catholics beatified by Pope John Paul II. McAleese currently holds the positions of Professor of Children, Law & Religion, at the University of Glasgow, Canon at Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin, and Chancellor of Trinity College Dublin.

The conference is endorsed by the Embassy of Ireland, Denmark, and funded by the European Research Council