The Mary Robinson Centre (MRC) is a Centre for Change, located in Ballina, Co. Mayo in the childhood home of Ireland’s first female President.  It will explore the key themes and issues surrounding the legacy of the influential world leader, with a specific focus on human rights in the broadest sense.  The Centre will open in 2025.

The Centre is a partnership between the local community, Mayo County Council and the University of Galway.
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Mary Robinson’s extensive personal archive and memorabilia, gifted to the University of Galway, will be displayed in the house she grew up in, in Ballina, Co. Mayo, which will become an educational outreach facility for the University of Galway in Mayo.

Exhibition displays and study rooms within her family home will make this important collection accessible via digitisation.  The collection will be presented so as to engage a wide range of audiences from school groups to families, allowing for deeper research by academics and students at the same time.  Inclusivity is at the core of the design, ensuring universal access throughout the building.

A strong online presence and a programme of community events, learning activities and international conferences are key elements of the wider interpretative scheme.  the University of Galway will integrate the Centre and its offering into existing and new human rights, equality and climate undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.