Editing Mary Robinson (section)

=== Inauguration and early term ===

Robinson was inaugurated as the seventh President of Ireland on 3 December 1990. She proved a remarkably popular President, earning the praise of Brian Lenihan himself who, before his death five years later, said that she was a better President than he ever could have been.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Downey |first1=James |title=Decent Man of Ireland |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/260710537/?clipping_id=126671267&fcfToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJmcmVlLXZpZXctaWQiOjI2MDcxMDUzNywiaWF0IjoxNzIxOTA4NTQ3LCJleHAiOjE3MjE5OTQ5NDd9.gI7ZD6OVDfHvlx8Wu-gNX41hO_Mh5aYvtDS2tRoDGVA |access-date=25 July 2024 |work=The Guardian |date=2 November 1995 |page=17}}</ref>

In 1991, Robinson was prevented from leaving the country by Charles Haughey's government. The power of the government to prevent the president from leaving the country is enshrined in Article 12.9 of the Irish constitution, which states that "the President shall not leave the State [...] save with the consent of the Government". Robinson had been invited to deliver the prestigious [[BBC]] [[Dimbleby Lecture]], and was to be speaking on the position of women and the family in Ireland. Wary of Robinson's position as a feminist and human rights lawyer, the government prevented her from leaving as they wished to avoid the negative publicity that they believed would arise from a speech they believed would be highly critical of the Irish state.{{Sfn|Morgan|1999|p=260-261}}