Catriona Ruane, the Minister for Education in the Northern Ireland Assembly, was honoured by her native county at a civic reception held in Mayo County Council offices last Friday.
Cathaoirleach of Mayo County Council, Councillor Joe Mellett said that this public recognition for the Sinn Féin Assembly member, Catriona Ruane, highlighted the significant work done in Ireland and throughout the world by this “remarkable lady” whose “energy is boundless” and whose “creative approach” led her to achieve great success in her political, humanitarian, and personal life, and has at all times demonstrated patriotism and a sense of justice.
Ruane, a Spanish speaker and Gaelgeoir, represented Ireland in u21 tennis; worked for a US-based aid foundation from 1983 to 87 in Central America; was a human rights activist in South Africa and El Salvador; proactive in Northern issues; worked for Trócaire; and was awarded the Aisling Person of the Year Award in 2000 by President Mary McAleese, before she took up office in the Northern Ireland Assembly in 2007.
Ruane was overjoyed to receive the accolade. She thanked her friends and family for their continued support and said that through her current work as minister for education in the assembly she would endeavour to try to build an “equal society from education” and reiterated that peace in the North is “so sweet”, yet “so fragile” and should “never ever be taken for granted”.
