McAleeses to be honoured for work in peace process

Former Irish President Mary McAleese and her husband, Senator Martin McAleese, are both to be awarded with the prestigious Tipperary International Peace Award for 2011 this morning.

It is in recognition for their work on the North's peace process, particularly throughout her tenure as President as well as through her previous career as a lawyer and also a journalist.

It will be the first official public engagement that former President McAleese has attended since leaving office last year.

It was during his wife’s tenure that Martin McAleese alongside others, worked to build a strong, lasting peace agreement, and controversially met with senior loyalist paramilitary leaders in order to pursue this.

More currently, through his role as Senator, Mr McAleese recently agreed to invite the grand secretary of the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland to address the House earlier this week.

Mr and Mrs McAleese will collect their award this afternoon. They follow other luminaries such as former Presidents Mikael Gorbachev and Nelson Mandela as well as the late Senator Ted Kennedy and Ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith.