09 Dec Mary Enright
Rugadh agus tógadh Máire Mhic Ionnrachtaigh ar Bhóthar an Lóiste Úr i mBéal Feirste sular phós sí agus sular neadaigh sí ar Chnoc Dhiarmada in Iarthar Bhéal Feirste. Bhí Máire gníomhach sa pholaitíocht áitiúil ó na luath 70í agus bhí sí ina ball bunaidh den ‘Relatives Action Committtee’ a chuaigh i mbun feactasaíochta in éadan Blocanna na Ceise Fada. Ar a bharr seo bhí sí ina ball bunaidh den ghrúpa radacach, feimineach ‘Women Against Imperialism’. Chuidigh sí fosta le hIonad na mBan ar Bhóthar na bhFál a bhunú in 1984. huaigh Máire i mbun traenála le bheith ag feidhmniú mar éascaitheoir ar ghrúpa ‘Steps to Excellence’ agus d’oibrigh sí le cuid mhór eagraíochtaí eile ar nós Ionad Teaghlaigh Ardmonagh, the Community Change Initiative and UNISON le cláir cumhachtú na mban a chur i gcrích. D’oibrigh sí ar feadh na bliantaí fada mar bhall boird deonach den eagraíocht ‘Participation and the Practice of Rights’ (PPR) agus the Committee for the Administration of Justice (CAJ).
Mary Enright was born and raised in the New Lodge Road in Belfast before marrying and settling in Dermot Hill in West Belfast. Mary became active in community politics from the early 1970s and was a founding member of the Relatives Action Committees which led the campaign against the H-Blocks. She was also a founder member of the radical republican feminist group, Women Against Imperialism. She later helped establish the Falls Women’s Centre in 1984. Mary later trained as Steps to Excellence group facilitator and worked for various organisations doing female empowerment programmes including Ardmonagh Family Centre, the Community Change Initiative and UNISON. She worked for many years as a voluntary Board member of Participation and the Practice of Rights (PPR) and the Committee for the Administration of Justice (CAJ).