Corrigan, Mairead (1944–)
Corrigan, Mairead (1944–)
Irish peace activist. Name variations: Máiread Corrigan; Mairead Corrigan Maguire. Born Mairead Corrigan in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Jan 27, 1944; dau. of a window-cleaning contractor and a housewife; m. Jackie Maguire (her deceased sister's husband); children: Luke, Mark, Joanne, Marie Louise, and John.
With Betty Williams, co-founded the Irish Peace People movement of the mid-1970s, the most successful of several early attempts to create a cross-community alliance against terrorism; in a macabre characterization of the entire Ulster nightmare, sister Anne Maguire was taking her young children for a walk on a suburban street (Aug 10, 1976) when a car smashed into them, seriously injuring Maguire and killing all 3 children—Joanne, 8, John (3), and Andrew (6 weeks old); on learning that the terrorist driver of the stolen car was already dead, shot moments before the crash by British soldiers during a running gun-battle, helped to organize the massive public demonstration which took place on the day after the children's funeral, an unusual display of public outrage in that the Catholic women of West Belfast were joined by Protestant women from elsewhere in the city. Received Norwegian People Peace Prize (1976) and Nobel Peace Prize (1976).
See also Women in World History.