Máire Whelan

Who is Máire Whelan?

Máire R. Whelan SC is an Irish barrister and senior counsel who was appointed to the post of Attorney General on 9 March 2011 by President Mary McAleese on the nomination of the Taoiseach, Enda Kenny. She is the first woman to hold this position in Ireland.

Whelan studied politics and sociology at University College Galway, before switching to law, and gained a Masters Degree from the University of London. She was called to the bar in 1985, and was appointed as senior counsel in 2005. She is a co-author of National Asset Management Agency Act 2009: A Reference Guide. She has served as financial secretary of the Labour Party, which is the junior member of the 2011 coalition government formed with Fine Gael. Her appointment as Attorney General caused some surprise amongst lawyers because she had a relatively low profile, owing to practising in areas of law where many cases are heard in camera.

Whelan, from Kinvara, County Galway, is married to barrister Bernard McCabe. They have one child and live in Dublin.