Former President of Ireland Dr. Mary McAleese announces the winner of The Bar of Ireland Liberator Scholarship which aims to invest in future leaders of mediation and negotiation.
The Bar of Ireland has announced Maria Watson BL as the recipient of its Liberator Scholarship, an award established to mark the 250th anniversary of the birth of Daniel O’Connell, one of Ireland’s most important legal and political figures.
Announcing the winner is former President of Ireland, Dr Mary McAleese, and she is presented with a special medal by Sir Maurice O’Connell, a direct descendant of Daniel O’Connell. The scholarship offers a fully funded place for a young barrister to attend the prestigious Harvard Programme on Negotiation, a unique and prestigious programme in on mediation, negotiation and conflict resolution.
Maria Watson BL from Dublin was selected following a nationwide call for submissions from Law Library members in Years 5 to 10, inviting reflections on the legacy of O’Connell. Her winning essay, “The current day relevance of Daniel O’Connell’s life and legacy and lessons for the future,” drew powerful links between O’Connell’s legacy and modern-day struggles for justice, highlighting the importance of courage, compassion, and constitutional activism.
Seán Guerin SC, Chair of the Council of The Bar of Ireland, said:
Daniel O’Connell was not only a champion of emancipation and legislative independence, he was also a principled advocate who believed in the power of law to serve every citizen. The Liberator Scholarship celebrates that legacy by equipping the next generation of barristers with the tools to carry it forward.
This initiative reflects our profession’s deep commitment to ethical advocacy, peaceful dispute resolution, and leadership in service of justice.
The Liberator Scholar, Maria Watson BL said:
To be chosen to represent The Bar at Harvard’s Programme on Negotiation later this year is both a privilege and an honour. Harvard’s Programme is, in essence, a contemporary form for cultivating the very skills O’Connell modelled two centuries ago; listening with respect, building coalitions across difference, and crafting solutions that preserve relationships while resolving disputes.
I intend to apply the lessons of Harvard and of O’Connell alike, to advocate fearlessly yet respectfully, to resolve disputes without resort to rancour, and to advance the cause of justice with the same courage, conviction and compassion that earned him the title ‘The Liberator.’
The Liberator Scholarship was made possible by the generous sponsorship of members of The Bar of Ireland and with the support of the Bar Council’s ADR Committee. It reflects the profession’s commitment to nurturing leadership grounded in justice, ethical advocacy and the peaceful resolution of disputes.
The judging panel comprised Dr. Mary McAleese, Dr. Martin McAleese, and retired Mr. Justice John MacMenamin.
The event forms part of The Bar of Ireland’s wider commemorative activities, including participation in the O’Connell 250 Symposium: Liberty, Democracy, and the Struggle for Human Rights, in association with Trinity College Dublin, The Daniel O’Connell Summer School, and Glasnevin Cemetery.
