Mary Elizabeth Banotti (; 29 May 1939 – 10 May 2024) was an Irish

Fine Gael Fine Gael ( ; ; ) is a centre-right, liberal-conservative, Christian democratic political party in Ireland. Fine Gael is currently the third-largest party in the Republic of Ireland in terms of members of Dáil Éireann. The party had a member ...

politician who served as a

Member of the European Parliament A member of the European Parliament (MEP) is a person who has been Election, elected to serve as a popular representative in the European Parliament. When the European Parliament (then known as the Common Assembly of the European Coal and S ...

(MEP) for the

Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...

constituency from 1984 to 2004.

Early life and education

Banotti was born in Malahide,

, in 1939 to Jim and Kitty O'Mahony. She was a sister of the former Minister

Nora Owen Nora Owen (; born 1 June 1945) is an Irish former Fine Gael politician who served as Minister for Justice (Ireland), Minister for Justice from 1994 to 1997 and Leader of Fine Gael#Deputy leaders, Deputy leader of Fine Gael from 1993 to 2001. She ...

and her mother was a niece of the Irish political leader Michael Collins. Living on Seafield Road, Clontarf, she attended a private primary school run by the Misses Walsh, and then the local Holy Faith Secondary School, Clontarf.

Career

Following her education she worked as a

nurse Nursing is a health care profession that "integrates the art and science of caring and focuses on the protection, promotion, and optimization of health and human functioning; prevention of illness and injury; facilitation of healing; and alle ...

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

and

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...

, before joining Irish Distillers as an occupational health nurse and Industrial Welfare Officer in 1972. Banotti was divorced for many years from her Italian husband. Between 1980 and 1984, she presented a weekly programme on social welfare rights and information on

RTÉ (; ; RTÉThe É in RTÉ is pronounced as an English E () and not an Irish É ()) is an Irish public service broadcaster. It both produces and broadcasts programmes on television, radio and online. The radio service began on 1 January 1926, ...

television. Banotti unsuccessfully contested the 1983 Seanad election and the Dublin Central by-election the same year.

Politics

1984 Events January * January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888. * January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeas ...

, she was elected to the

European Parliament The European Parliament (EP) is one of the two legislative bodies of the European Union and one of its seven institutions. Together with the Council of the European Union (known as the Council and informally as the Council of Ministers), it ...

, representing the Dublin constituency. She retained her seat until her retirement at the 2004 European elections. She was

's candidate in the 1997 presidential election, coming second to

Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil ( ; ; meaning "Soldiers of Destiny" or "Warriors of Fál"), officially Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party (), is a centre to centre-right political party in Ireland. Founded as a republican party in 1926 by Éamon de ...

Mary McAleese Mary Patricia McAleese ( ; ; ; born 27 June 1951) is an Irish activist lawyer, academic, author, and former politician who served as the president of Ireland from November 1997 to November 2011. McAleese was first elected as president in 1997, ...

. In 1999, she also was the

UNFPA The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is a UN agency aimed at improving reproductive and maternal health worldwide. Its work includes developing national healthcare strategies and protocols, increasing access to birth control, and leadin ...

's Goodwill Ambassador on reproductive health.

Philanthropy

Banotti was a member and Vice Chair of the Board of Directors of the

International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children The International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (ICMEC), headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, USA, with a regional presence in the United Kingdom, Europe, Turkey, Africa, Canada, Latin America, Caribbean, Southeast Asia, India, Jap ...

(ICMEC), a global nonprofit organization that combats child sexual exploitation,

child pornography Child pornography (also abbreviated as CP, also called child porn or kiddie porn, and child sexual abuse material, known by the acronym CSAM (underscoring that children can not be deemed willing participants under law)), is Eroticism, erotic ma ...

, and

child abduction Child abduction or child theft is the unauthorized removal of a Minor (law), minor (a child under the age of Age of majority, legal adulthood) from the Child custody, custody of the child's Parent, natural parents or Legal guardian, legally appoi ...

. Banotti served as Honorary President of Health First Europe, and a member of the

International Foundation for Electoral Systems The International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) is an international, non-profit organization, non-profit organisation founded in 1987. Based in Arlington County, Virginia, Arlington, Virginia, United States, the organization assists a ...

' board. Banotti died on 10 May 2024, at the age of 84. She was survived by her daughter, Tania.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Banotti, Mary 1939 births 2024 deaths Candidates for President of Ireland Mary Banotti 20th-century women MEPs for the Republic of Ireland Fine Gael MEPs Irish nurses MEPs for the Republic of Ireland 1999–2004 MEPs for the Republic of Ireland 1994–1999 MEPs for the Republic of Ireland 1989–1994 MEPs for the Republic of Ireland 1984–1989 Politicians from County Dublin People from Malahide Health professionals from County Dublin