The Mary Robinson Centre

The Mary Robinson Centre It will open in 2022, but until then, holds events around Ballina and further afield in the West of Ireland.

A centre of change in Co Mayo, addressing global challenges by championing human rights, tacking climate change and biodiversity loss, and providing humanitarian action on a local and national level. The Mary Robinson Centre will be Ireland’s first Presidential Archive, located at Victoria House, the birthplace of the former President of Ireland in Ballina, County Mayo . Run in academic partnershi

p with the National University of Ireland in Galway (NUI Galway) and supported by Mayo County Council, The Mary Robinson Centre will incorporate a Museum, Archive, Research Facility, Educational Centre and Events Venue. The realisation of The Mary Robinson Centre will bring the symbolic light in the window of Áras an Uachtaráin back to Mary’s childhood home in Ballina, where as a young girl, she dreamed big dreams.

🥔 May 30 is the International Day of the Potato. The Mary Robinson Centre celebrates this humble yet mighty crop. Potato...
30/05/2026

🥔 May 30 is the International Day of the Potato. The Mary Robinson Centre celebrates this humble yet mighty crop. Potatoes are eaten by billions of people around the world. They grow on small family farms in the Andes and on larger mechanised farms across continents. They provide food, nutrition, livelihoods, and employment for rural and urban communities alike.

🌱 The potato matters in the fight against hunger and poverty. It also helps us address environmental threats to our food systems. Small scale family farmers, many of them women, are the true guardians of potato diversity. Their work keeps heirloom varieties alive and our soils healthy.

🌾 This spirit of care for the land and its people is at the very heart of our upcoming Mary Robinson Climate and Nature Conference 2026, taking place on 9–10 July in Ballina, Co. Mayo. Under the theme Food and Care: A Meitheal for Our Time, we will gather farmers, scientists, activists, and community workers as equals. Together we will celebrate those who tend the soil, including the potato growers who feed our communities with patience and skill.

🌿 We invite you to visit our website for conference details, including ticket information, accessibility, and how to apply for a stall at the farmers' market.

🔗 www.maryrobinsoncentre.ie

💚 On this International Day of the Potato, let us honour the farmers, the fields, and the food that brings us together.

🥔🌻

28/05/2026

Last Tuesday evening, 26th May, we gathered one last time at Mulranny Arts. And what a night it was.

Women from across Mayo came together to share stories, lift each other up, and take their seat at the table. No grand speeches. No pressure. Just real conversations, honest hearts, and a room full of strength. 💛

From Inisturk to Aghleam, Ballina to Kiltimagh, and finally to Mulranny – thank you to every single woman who walked through the doors of these workshops. You showed up. You spoke up. You belong.

The workshops may be over, but this is just the beginning. Keep taking up space. Keep raising your voice. Keep sitting at that table. 🪑💪

A massive thank you to Dr Michelle Maher, Programme Manager at SHE (See Her Elected)

We believe a meitheal isn't just about how we work together. It is about how we care for the land, the table and every s...
27/05/2026

We believe a meitheal isn't just about how we work together. It is about how we care for the land, the table and every small choice we make.

That is why we are delighted to introduce a special conference reusable coffee cup, available to buy on the day.

This is not just any cup. It is supplied by Ecoset, a Greystones based company born from a deep love for Ireland's coastline and a determination to break the cycle of single use plastic. From their start in TV and film production to cleaning beaches with their children, Ecoset lives the change we need.

Even better: Ecoset is selling us these cups at cost price because they believe in this gathering and its values. Every cup purchased also supports Clean Coasts and their grant scheme for volunteer groups protecting Ireland's waterways and marine life.

So bring your curiosity, bring your voice, and leave with a cup that keeps on giving.

🎟️ Tickets and info: maryrobinsoncentre.ie
📅 9-10 July 2026 | Ballina, Co. Mayo

What a wonderful morning at Culleens National School in Ballina 🏫💚We visited in partnership with University of Galway fo...
27/05/2026

What a wonderful morning at Culleens National School in Ballina 🏫💚

We visited in partnership with University of Galway for an intergenerational talk on "Place Names & Biodiversity." Pupils, parents, and grandparents came together to share stories of the local landscape and how wildlife has changed through the years. There was so much wisdom in that room. 🌿🗣️

Dr. Liam Ó hAisibéil, Assistant Professor in Irish at University of Galway, led a fascinating discussion on the history hidden in our local place names. He brought the past to life through language and memory.

A huge thank you to the school and staff for hosting us, and to every pupil and grandparent who opened up their memories and made the session so special. 💚

🧡 National Volunteering Week runs from 18 to 24 May. The Mary Robinson Centre wants to say something simple but deeply f...
22/05/2026

🧡 National Volunteering Week runs from 18 to 24 May. The Mary Robinson Centre wants to say something simple but deeply felt. Thank you.

This year's theme is "From Every Corner, For Every Cause." It celebrates the extraordinary collective power of volunteering. It honours the people whose time, compassion, and commitment make a measurable difference every single day. And here in Ballina, we see that power in action all year round.

🌱 To our volunteers at the Urban Farm and Garden. Thank you. You get your hands in the soil. You tend the beds. You grow food with patience and care. You have turned a patch of land into a living classroom and a source of nourishment. Every seed you plant is an act of hope.

🔄 To our volunteers at the monthly Swap Shop. Thank you. You sort, you organise, you welcome neighbours with a smile. You have built a space where things are shared instead of thrown away. Where clothes find new homes and waste finds a second chance. That is community. That is love in action.

🤝 To our volunteers with the Bia Le Chéile programme. Thank you. You sit with people. You listen. You share meals and conversation. You remind us that food is not just fuel. It is connection. It is dignity. It is care made visible.

💚 Across Ireland, in every parish, town, and city, volunteers are strengthening communities in meaningful ways. They support older people to live independently. They mentor young people to reach their potential. They protect our environment. They sustain local arts and culture. They respond in times of crisis.

Here at the Mary Robinson Centre, we are so lucky. Our volunteers are the quiet heartbeat of everything we do. You ask for nothing. You give so much. You show us what it means to live with generosity and grace.

From every corner, for every cause. Thank you for being our corner. Thank you for being our cause.

🧡🌱🔄🤝

🌟 What a joy to welcome a visiting Erasmus group from Caspae, Portugal this week! They were with us as part of their pro...
22/05/2026

🌟 What a joy to welcome a visiting Erasmus group from Caspae, Portugal this week! They were with us as part of their programme exploring volunteering and community engagement here in Ireland.

The group was joined by Stuart Garland, Learning and Capacity Building Manager with Volunteer Ireland, who is guiding their visit during National Volunteer Week.💚

Loved seeing the energy and shared learning across borders. So much heart in community action. 🤝

🐝🌿 This World Biological Diversity Day, the Mary Robinson Centre invites you to remember something simple yet profound.D...
22/05/2026

🐝🌿 This World Biological Diversity Day, the Mary Robinson Centre invites you to remember something simple yet profound.

Despite all our technology and progress, we remain completely dependent on healthy ecosystems. They give us our water, our food, our medicines, our clothes, our fuel, our shelter, and our energy.

🌍 When biodiversity has a problem, humanity has a problem.

The good news is that the world came together in December 2022 under the Kunming Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. That plan sets 23 targets for 2030, including restoring 20% of degraded ecosystems and reducing invasive species by half.

🕊️ This year's theme is "Harmony with nature and sustainable development." It reminds us that the biodiversity goals and the Sustainable Development Goals must move forward together. They support one another.

Let us respect, protect, and repair our biological wealth. Let us do it with urgency and with hope.

🌸🦋🌱

Happy birthday to Mary Robinson 🎂💚Leader. Advocate. Climate justice champion.First female President of Ireland. Former U...
21/05/2026

Happy birthday to Mary Robinson 🎂💚

Leader. Advocate. Climate justice champion.
First female President of Ireland. Former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. Tireless voice for the vulnerable.

Thank you for showing us what principled leadership looks like. Your work and legacy continue to inspire action on the frontlines of justice every single day.

Here's to you, Mary. And here's to the better world you keep building. 🕊️

21/05/2026

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! 🌿✨

Something special is coming to Ballina.
The Mary Robinson Climate and Nature Conference 2026 is just a few months away, and we would love you to be part of it. Not just as an attendee, but as one of our wonderful volunteers. 🤝💚

This year's theme is "Food and Care: A Meitheal for Our Time".
Meitheal means working together for the common good. And that is exactly what we need.
We are looking for around 30 warm hearted, willing hands to help us over two days on 9th & 10th July in Ballina, Co. Mayo.

📍 St Mary's Secondary School & Mary Robinson Centre
⏰ Day shifts from 8am to 6pm (evening event on 9th July from 6pm to 10pm)

Roles include event set up, guiding delegates, serving teas and coffees, welcoming people at reception, managing the registration desk, and stewarding event spaces.

No small job is a small job with us. Every role helps create a gentle, generous, welcoming space.
Please let us know your free time when you apply, and we will assign shifts based on what suits you best.

Deadline to apply: 25th June 2026
🔗 Apply here: https://shorturl.at/aFQ37

Come be part of something meaningful. Come be the care in our meitheal. ☘️💫

🍃 Happy International Tea Day from the Mary Robinson Centre in Ballina, Co. Mayo! ☕Did you know that tea is the most lov...
21/05/2026

🍃 Happy International Tea Day from the Mary Robinson Centre in Ballina, Co. Mayo! ☕

Did you know that tea is the most loved drink in the world after water? For over 5 000 years, this simple leaf has brought comfort, connection, and culture to every corner of the globe. 🫖✨

This year's theme is "Tea for Better Lives." And it's true. Tea supports over 13 million people, including smallholder farmers and their families. In fact, smallholders produce 60 percent of the world's tea. That is a lot of love in every cup. 💚🌱

Here in Ballina, we believe in the power of small actions to create big change. Mary Robinson's legacy is all about fairness, sustainability, and looking after one another. A cup of tea reminds us to pause, to listen, and to care. From field to cup, every sip tells a story of livelihoods, heritage, and hope. 🫂🍂

Tea empowers communities. It especially supports women by creating jobs and building resilience. And it thrives in very special environments that we must protect for generations to come. 🌍

So brew a pot, invite someone you love, and celebrate the farmers, families, and traditions behind your favourite blend. ☕🌸

Tag your tea drinking partner. And tell us: how do you take your tea? Strong with milk? Sweetened with honey? Or just as it comes? 🍋☘️

Address

Emmet Street
Ballina
F26Y9V3

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