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FORMER PRESIDENT MARY Robinson has said that it was a mistake to leave her role as President early to take up the position of United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
In an interview with RTÉ’s Cian McCormack as part of the Hidden Gems series, Robinson said that, although she’s been “very lucky in life”, there are some mistakes that she regretted.
She also said that she had allowed former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan to “bully” her into taking the role of high commissioner, and that it was her “hardest decision” not to go for a second term as President of Ireland.
Robinson served as President between 1990 and 1997, before taking up the role as High Commissioner for Human Rights in September 1997. She served in this role until 2002.
When asked how she felt about her long career looking back, Robinson reflected that there was a lot she was happy with, but some things that certainly regretted.
“I think I’ve been very lucky in life, to be honest,” she said. “I’ve been very fortunate in love, life and family.”
I have deep disappointments but I feel much more that I’ve been very lucky in a life that wasn’t planned.
She expressed the wish that she would have wanted to remain President, but also wanted to take the role at the UN.
I then made a mistake – and it was a mistake – to allow Kofi Annan to sort of bully me into coming earlier and not seeing out the last month and a half of my presidency.
This was a regret, and she felt that it changed how some people perceived her. She added:
People felt like I didn’t like being President. That wasn’t true. It was the hardest decision not to go for a second term.
She did admit, however, that it would have been difficult to do the job with the same conviction for another seven years. Robinson also praised her successor Mary McAleese and current President, Michael D Higgins.
In the Hidden Gems series, public figures go to a place which means a great deal to them, and explain why. Robinson chose Dun Laoghaire pier for this outing, but hints that there is a part of Mayo that is closer to her heart.
“I have a place in Mayo, on a lake, where I do contemplate. It’s private, it’s safe, it’s like a sanctuary. I can mentally walk all around the grounds of our home in Mayo no matter where I am.”
This love for Mayo was reinforced with this exchange with a passer-by, Gerry Sullivan, who calls her a “nice lady” before asking if Dublin would win the All-Ireland this year.
Robinson replied: “No, I’m hoping Mayo win. We’re the ones who need to win it at this stage.”
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When Mary was elected my granny wrote to her to congratulate her on becoming the first female president and to my grannys surprise she was invited to dinner with her. I think it was the proudest moment of her life. We used go watch all the rugby matches in my grandparents on a Saturday back then , my granny had no interest in the match but she would always sit and watch her ‘friend’ come out to shake the players hands. I remember it used ammuse my grandad and dad no end. Seeing her in the news the last few days just reminded me of the story so thought I’d share.
Nice story Fionn. I think bully was a poor choice of words to indicate that she felt under pressure to make a quick decision. At the time there were significant human rights and refugee issues ongoing and The UN was under pressure to redeem itself following many disasters most notably Rwanda. Robinson ticked all the boxes and was effectively head hunted. Her new role offered the possibility of making a real and substantial difference to the lives of millions of displaced people, something she would find impossible to ignore from a moral and principaled point of view. POROI is an honorable but ultimately powerless office so those were her choices and she chose the obvious path. She was also being groomed as a future General Secretary of The UN until she made the unforgivable mistake of openly criticizing Isreal and fell foul of The US. This finished her UN career. A good intelligent and principled woman of substance. So much ignorance and bitterness contained in the comments here.
Agree with everything you said 110%
No doubt she did good things in her life but while she was viewed as a consummate stateswoman during her presidency, in the current climate she brings up images of aristocracy (I mean listen to how she describes meandering around her Mayo estate), nepotism (her family is deeply ingrained in the Irish political system) and disconnect from the public (lecturing the plebs about their carbon footprint as she jets business across the globe).
Perhaps that is the image that many see but it unfortunately comes with the territory of global statesperson. Most are comfortable academics and intellectuals who’s intellectual evolution was unhindered by the need to work hence their ability to devote themselves to loftier persuits. They are also generally not driven by wealth or status as they have worn such clothes all their lives hence they are somewhat immune to corruption. Not many salt of the earth ex taxi drivers in that world.
I was with you until the not driven by wealth and status part.
A poor headline. The actually quote is “SORT OF bully” which suggests it’s said in a much more casual way.
Well at least you stayed for a while China.
@Fionn Bohane: As Bob Dylan said, “sometimes Satan comes as a man of peace”
“We may not pay Satan reverence, for that will be indiscrete, but we can at least respect his talents” – mark twain
I don’t think she was bullied into anything. She only had to say “no”.
Very poor choice of words by Mrs Robinson.
@David Murphey: Then she must have been bullied by the UN to give up the presidency and take on a more chalenging and better paid job. She is looking for sympathy at this point.
@David Murphey: Heard on the radio – from the context, it didn’t seem like bullying but persuasion. Maybe a bad choice of words, but her tone of voice did not suggest anything unpleasant
That’s all it was, a poor choice of words. The amount of lads on here that still buy into these silly sensationalist headlines. You’d think they would see it for what it is at this rather going off on one and slating the woman.
There is something about poor Mary Mary quiet contrary.we should all send her on a few euro
@Anne Marie Devlin: Indeed she was so bullied that she stayed on an extra year in the job, thereby qualifying for a pension of $11,000 p.a.
@John Kennedy: we should buy her ancestral home and make a shrine! said no one ever ish…
I think it’s more the way the article is written with the quote in the heading. People say stuff like “oh, I met my boyfriend when my best friend bullied me into going to the pub with her” or “I’d never have applied for that promotion if my girlfriend hadn’t bullied me into it.” Yeah, as a public figure she should probably be a bit more careful with her choice of words, but when you read her actual words in the article it sounds a lot different than in the headline.
Quiet or quite…
Bullied?? Mary Robinson? I don’t think so…..
@Peter Buchanan: Bullied…, she wuold have taken it all the way to the European court, at the taxpayers expense of course
In context it sounds like she’s sort of joking or at least means it in a lighthearted way. I don’t think she’s saying he literally bullied her, more that he annoyed her into it. People say stuff like that all the time – “I’d never have met my boyfriend/applied for that job if my friend hadn’t bullied me into it.”
So now Trump is a bully, Kofi Annan is a bully, and Mary’s just a nice Mayo girl with no agency in a big bad world of bully’s?Well Boo-hoo.
@Mr Snuffleupagus:
Kofi Annan is no saint. He refused to pass on Romeo Dallaire’s urgent warning about an impending massacre in Rwanda that ultimately became a genocide. He really does not come off well in any examination of this time he spent in charge of peace keeping.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/714025.stm
Achieving high office in the UN isn’t some proof of virtue, its only proof of being a skilled politician with an ostensible commitment to peace and human rights. It’s sort of like the being a charity executive for politicians.
Does she have an off button? Nobody cares Mary.
Former Uachtarán, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and founding member of the Elders… think a few people care what she has to say.
“elders” how stuffy and pretentious, right up her street.
Yeah… Nelson Mandela was reeeeeal pretentious.
Nelson Mandela chose it. Nothing pretentious about it.
You decided to dishonour your mandate from the Irish people, Mary. No one made you do it. It’s on you.
Just as it was on you when you quit the next job before the end of the term and blamed everyone but yourself.
Horsh.
Poor Mary. My heart bleeds for you. I guess you were bullied into the UN high commissioner role with all the trimmings also. You were always the victim Mary.
I don’t know.
I think it’s more a case of her being seduced by the prospect of a bigger stage than bullied out of the Aras.
@Alex Falcone: Many alternatives are more seductive than being bullied out of the aras.
I think Kofi mistook her constant nodding as a sign of agreement
Very good.
I’ve heard it all now . Ffs
How is the Mary Robinson interpretative centre coming along in Ballina Mary ?
@Patrick James Walsh: It needs a bail out LOL, treble the taxes, from the carbon levy
Noddy stayed too long.
The big yellow bird has come back to haunt us…..
Not much to regret here….either for her or the U.N. It was win win for both Ireland ( she set a high standard for her successor ) and for the international community.
Well said …
Yeah….we got rid of her…..
I love mary as a person she always pushed for gay rights in a time were she actually got hate mail I think she represents the country and her brilliantly an amazing regardless of her pension ..but I find it hard to believe she gave in to bulling ..
If she was bullied, why didn’t she say it at the time – or alternatively immediately after, when ‘they’ couldn’t have got her?
The implication of what I am reading is that she alleges that the highest office in the land came under undue pressure – and that she was forced out.
If that is the case, is suggestive of a sequence of events that occurred completely at odds with the constitution.
To my mind, it would seem a dereliction of duty for a President of this state to quietly resign under undue pressure – and to then not indicate the reasons for doing so.
Such behaviour would also seem to be at odds with the outspoken character I previously associated with Mrs Robinson.
I once had a lot of respect for Mrs Robinson.
I heard she was a bit of a bully to her own staff
@Kieran Mcnamee: worked for the Lady’s organisation, not a pleasant experience.
What is she on about at all … Welcome to the world of is mortals, where mistakes are rife , decisions don’t work out and choices are sometimes not in your hands…Keep your thoughts for your sanctuary…Nice gal an all
@Eugene Walsh let me get this straight. Because Mary’s story doesn’t involve, say, superhuman actions that are unique to her, she is somehow doing the wrong thing by discussing what is nonetheless an interesting life on a tv programme that appears to be dedicated to those kind of stories?
Should Mary Robinson only say anything when it is an original and unique prophecy removed only once from the lips of god?
What nonsense.
@Colm: What are you trying to say?
It changed our perception of how we were seen by our public representatives. We were left with the impression that we were a ‘stop-gap’, something to make do with until something ‘better’ came along. It can be an affront to National dignity when the President drops everything to run off to a ‘better job’, higher profile etc. Julius Caesar once said that he would prefer to be number one in some hamlet in Britain rather than number two in Rome. Our President preferred to be something other in another place and made an undignified exit. That said, your broke the mould. We live and learn. For myself, Ancora Imparo!
Please! Bullied my H@le, Mary couldn’t wait to get her hands on that pot of gold, the UN is. Little late in the day to be seeking sympathy, pathetic nonsense and Mary seems to have found a new calling, whinging.
Mary.
Just go away.
Aaaahh my heart bleeds
When she came out with her Mna Na h`Eirann bull , she lost all respect
This woman is partly the reason there are so many foreigners here.
Which is a good thing. Immigrants = greater population = larger market = better economy. As well of course as the opportunities to learn about other cultures and more importantly learn FROM other cultures, thereby making our country the best it can be.
@Margaret Lane: Try telling that to the native Americans or indeed the displaced Ulster Catholics of the 1700′s
My heart bleeds for her.
What a load of bull from Mary the NWO Globalist.
Now that she is coming to an end in the UN she is trying to back track and make out that she wasn’t involved in some of the worlds worst human disasters.
Now she just wants to retire to her mansion in Mayo.
Oh Mary it is always someone else’s fault. What a bad example you set for everyone. You should take ownership. I am sure you got a choice of take the job now or we will give it to someone else. What a waste that would be sense you spent your time as President looking for that job.
Ugh.. what a drag
The woman has gone way way down in my estimation . She had a choice and made a decision
We are only a small island with a small population we do not need costly high profiled presidents of any kind.
She shouldn’t have been president if she was able to be bullied. She probably would have had a heart attack if she met Trump
Imagine trying to sell a house to Irish tax payers for an inflated price to house rubbish nobody wants. I have no sympathy for her. Bore off Mary.
Cry us a river Mary.
I used think I had it tough but then I read about how terribly this vulnerable elderly lady was treated.
A bigger pay packet i would say
@Mick Cullen: Mary must be sick ,over the Sham Museum 2 Million tax back scam.Pity the poor mare.
Amazing woman. I remember the day she was sworn in and when I look back on the footage I still feel emotional. I was in Rwanda working for Concern when she visited and I helped coordinate some of her trip. She made us all so proud to be Irish. Never felt negatively towards her choices. She has always been a credit to Ireland.
Ask the Aras staff about what it feels like to be bullied …….
YEah bully was a poor choice of words. Had she been head strong enough she could have stayed on.
She is no good for anything, part of the leftie greenie elite liberals, Nodding the head and robbing us blindly with her climate change haox
Build a bridge and get over it
The classic PR trick : throw your hands up and say sorry.
Hold on here now!! The only thing wrong Witt Mrs Robinson is that she is a mayo supporter,,,,awe god love her.
UP THE DUB’s
If that wonderful lady would like to run again after Michael D retires I will go out again and put posters, canvas and give my no 1 once more. I would regard it as a privilege.
Michael D was streets ahead of Mary r when representing Ireland giving interviews to the British gutter press .
His shoes would be hard for Mary to fill in that regard .
Just a quick look and I thought it was tatcher
Our country is divided into those whom the biased media likes and dislikes. Currently in favour are leftie, greenie, liberal, pro abortion elites. Out of favour are Trump supporters, pro life, anti wind farm/pylons, pro brexiters.
Main stream media still has some control and as a result the likes of Mary Robbinus, Eamon Ruan, Richman Boy Barrett, Tax Pro Bono, Bob yelled of a boat and Co. get access why the rest of us don’t. They influence government policy way above their support. What can you do?.
Don’t vote, don’t buy a newspaper and throw out the TV for a while when the licence expires. Its that simple
Politics and bullying, who would have known lol.
President with absolutely no power, what a waste of taxpayer money.
What a cop out she gave up her presidency because she wanted the UN job no one else is responsible for her decision, her motivations maybe worth discussing but the decision was hers
you could of just played the morning ireland segment
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