Mary Robinson's Inauguration Suit

Mary Robinson’s Inauguration Suit, silk moire, designed by Louise Kennedy, 1990

In 1990 Mary Robinson (b. 1944) became the first female President of Ireland. Robinson wore this purple suit on her Inauguration Day on 3^rd December 1990. The vibrant purple of this suit references the traditional colour of the Women’s Movement and was a favourite of Robinson’s advisor Bride Rosney (1949-2023).

During her time in office, she wanted to be more than a symbolic figurehead and worked to achieve justice, peace, and fairness in Irish and world politics. Robinson oversaw major social changes while in office, including the decriminalisation of homosexuality (1993) and the legalisation of divorce (1996). She resigned in 1997 to take up the position of United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. 

More Information
Transcript of Mary Robinson’s Inaugural Speech, 3/12/1990. [Accessed 22/4/2025]
Video of Mary Robinson’s Inaugural Speech: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hD_XHnobV0 [Accessed 22/4/2025]