User:Justin McAleese/sandbox



Early and Personal Life

Justin McAleese was born in Newry, Co. Down on 6 April 1985 and is the only son of two-term President of Ireland, Mary McAleese and Dr. Martin McAleese. Justin McAleese has a twin sister, Sara, and older sister Emma - daughter in law of Kerry GAA legend Mick O’Connell. Until 1997, the McAleese family were raised in Rostrevor, Co. Down before moving to Áras an Uachtaráin upon Mary McAleese’s election as President of Ireland. McAleese is married to Dr. Fionán Donohoe, a 29 year old graduate of medicine from UCD who is currently on the obstetrics and gynaecology higher specialist training scheme.

Education and Professional Career

McAleese was educated at The King’s Hospital, Palmerstown, Dublin and holds a Bachelor of Commerce Degree and Master of Accounting Degree from UCD. McAleese is an alumnus of the Washington Ireland Program for service and leadership. McAleese is a chartered accountant and completed his accountancy qualification at PricewaterhouseCoopers in Dublin in 2010. In the period 2011 to 2016, McAleese worked at Ryanair including as assistant to CEO Michael O’Leary and Head of Investor Relations. In November 2015, McAleese was appointed by President Michael D Higgins to the council of the President’s Award - Gaisce. This is a voluntary and non-remunerated position. Politics

Marriage Referendum

McAleese was involved in Ireland’s marriage equality referendum in 2015 and wrote in the Irish Independent on growing up gay in Ireland. McAleese asked "You might ask me this: "What difference will marriage make to a 30-year-old gay man?" To answer that question I need to look back at my childhood. I knew I was different when I was 11. I didn't have the words or knowledge to know then that I was gay, but I knew that society's expectation for me was to get married to a girl. All I wanted to do was fit in."

McAleese was joint-coordinator of the Yes Equality Campaign in the former Dublin South East constituency which returned the highest yes vote in the country at 75%.

In the aftermath of the referendum in an article in the Irish Independent, McAleese criticised Bishop Eamon Martin for his and the Roman Catholic Church’s lack of respect of the LGBTI community. McAleese asked: "How can he (Archbishop Eamon Martin) and his colleagues ignore and stand over ignoring the research which shows gay children are five times more likely to be medicated for depression and three times more likely to attempt suicide than their peers?" Fianna Fáil

In March 2018, during an interview on the Today with Sean O’Rourke programme, McAleese announced his intention to seek the Fianna Fáil party’s nomination to contest the next general election in Dublin Rathdown. McAleese has been a member of the party since he was 15 and is a former vice-chair of the Kevin Barry Cumann in UCD. Asked by Sean O'Rourke why he would run for Fianna Fáil, McAleese said: ''“From my point of view, there is no doubt that there were huge failings made by the party during those years (the noughties). I think that the party has learnt from those failings. In life you probably learn some of your biggest lessons from failures and I wouldn’t be running for the party if I didn’t think that they had learnt from the mistakes of the past. But the party also has a 92 year-old history and I think its important to look at their contribution across their whole history whether it was our membership of the European Union, the roll out of free second level education and its contribution to the peace process – there is a strong tradition there of public service and that combined with that fact that we have learnt from the mistakes of the past, I think that’s a good combination to ensure that going forward and in to the future we re able to build a society where we don’t make those kinds of mistakes in the future and I hope to part of that conversation and part of that kind of party.”'' Eighth Amendment

On the same programme he stated that he was in favour of repealing the eighth amendment. McAleese said: ''“My position on the eighth amendment is exactly the same as Micheál Martin’s, I think that we should repeal the eighth amendment and as recommended by the Joint Oireachtas Committee we should introduce abortion on demand or on request up until 12 weeks. I come at this from the pro-life side of the house but like many people I have sat down and gone through all of the presentations that we saw at the Citizen’s Assembly and the Joint Oireachtas Committee and I can see how people moved on their journey from position A to position B. It’s important to remember as well that there are two parts to this debate. The first one is about repealing the eighth amendment. And the eighth amendment originally and for the first time in Irish law gave women the right to an abortion to protect their life and we’ve heard from obstetricians around the country including Dr. Rhona Mahony, Master of the National Maternity Hospital, that it isn’t doing that - that it is delaying medical intervention. And I think that whenever you have the obstetricians telling us – the people on the front line telling us – that this is a problem for them (the eighth amendment) then how can you argue with that?”.'' Mary McAleese and the Vatican

In response to Cardinal Kevin Farrell’s decision to ban his mother from speaking in the Vatican on a conference about Women in the Church on International Women’s Day, McAleese said: “[https://www.rte.ie/news/2018/0308/945846-mary-mcaleese-church/ ''Looking at my mother as a very proud son, she is someone who herself is the product of the catholic education system. She was educated by the Dominican and Mercy nuns. They gave her the tools to become the President of Ireland and a canon lawyer. And to think today she is in Rome not speaking in the Vatican City on a conference about women in the church on International Women's Day. I think of the irony there. I don't think it's lost on people.''"]