Mary Nelis
Encyclopedia
Mary Margaret Nelis, was a Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly
. She was born in Wellington Street in the Bogside
area of Derry
, Northern Ireland
, in 1935. She is the eldest daughter of the late Catherine and Denis Elliott. She was educated at St Eugene's Convent School and left school at fourteen to work in the Hogg and Mitchell shirt factory. In 1955 she married William Nelis. They had nine children, eight sons and a daughter. Their eldest son was killed in a road traffic accident in 1974.
In the early 1960s, Mary Nelis organised the first community association in the Foyle Hill estate and helped spread community groups in other areas of the city, including the Protestant Fountain estate.
She became active in the civil rights campaign demanding equal rights for the people of the city. She trained as an adult literacy teacher and was a founder member of the Derry Reading Workshop, an organisation set up to help those with educational needs. In 1974, she joined the Social Democratic and Labour Party
(SDLP), but resigned a year later. In 1976, she became active in the Relatives Action Committee: an organisation campaigning for prisoners' rights. Two of her sons were imprisoned in the H Blocks in HMP Maze. Her work with young people led to the setting up of Dove House, a resource centre in the Bogside. She later established the Templemor Co-op, a craft co-operative for woman with exceptional sewing skills.
In 1981, Nelis joined Sinn Féin
. She was elected to Derry City Council
in 1993 and served two terms. She was elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly
in 1998, one of only fourteen women of 108 members. She was re-elected in 2003, but resigned a year later to care for her husband, who sustained injuries in a road traffic accident; and was succeeded by Raymond McCartney
. Nelis is the current Hon. President of Sinn Féin in Derry, the second person and only woman to receive the honour. She was presented with the Paul O Dwyer Award by the IAUC for her work for peace and justice in Ireland. She writes the political column in the Sunday Journal and also contributes to the Sinn Féin paper, An Phoblacht
.
Member of the Legislative Assembly (Northern Ireland)
Member of the Legislative Assembly is a representative elected by the voters to the Northern Ireland Assembly in Northern Ireland.- About :...
. She was born in Wellington Street in the Bogside
Bogside
The Bogside is a neighbourhood outside the city walls of Derry, Northern Ireland. The area has been a focus point for many of the events of The Troubles, from the Battle of the Bogside and Bloody Sunday in the 1960s and 1970s...
area of Derry
Derry
Derry or Londonderry is the second-biggest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth-biggest city on the island of Ireland. The name Derry is an anglicisation of the Irish name Doire or Doire Cholmcille meaning "oak-wood of Colmcille"...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
, in 1935. She is the eldest daughter of the late Catherine and Denis Elliott. She was educated at St Eugene's Convent School and left school at fourteen to work in the Hogg and Mitchell shirt factory. In 1955 she married William Nelis. They had nine children, eight sons and a daughter. Their eldest son was killed in a road traffic accident in 1974.
In the early 1960s, Mary Nelis organised the first community association in the Foyle Hill estate and helped spread community groups in other areas of the city, including the Protestant Fountain estate.
She became active in the civil rights campaign demanding equal rights for the people of the city. She trained as an adult literacy teacher and was a founder member of the Derry Reading Workshop, an organisation set up to help those with educational needs. In 1974, she joined the Social Democratic and Labour Party
Social Democratic and Labour Party
The Social Democratic and Labour Party is a social-democratic, Irish nationalist political party in Northern Ireland. Its basic party platform advocates Irish reunification, and the further devolution of powers while Northern Ireland remains part of the United Kingdom...
(SDLP), but resigned a year later. In 1976, she became active in the Relatives Action Committee: an organisation campaigning for prisoners' rights. Two of her sons were imprisoned in the H Blocks in HMP Maze. Her work with young people led to the setting up of Dove House, a resource centre in the Bogside. She later established the Templemor Co-op, a craft co-operative for woman with exceptional sewing skills.
In 1981, Nelis joined Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970...
. She was elected to Derry City Council
Derry City Council
Derry City Council is a district council in County Londonderry in Northern Ireland. The Council is is responsible for the city of Derry and the immediate environ, providing services to an estimated population of , making it the third largest district council in Northern Ireland by population.The...
in 1993 and served two terms. She was elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly
Northern Ireland Assembly
The Northern Ireland Assembly is the devolved legislature of Northern Ireland. It has power to legislate in a wide range of areas that are not explicitly reserved to the Parliament of the United Kingdom, and to appoint the Northern Ireland Executive...
in 1998, one of only fourteen women of 108 members. She was re-elected in 2003, but resigned a year later to care for her husband, who sustained injuries in a road traffic accident; and was succeeded by Raymond McCartney
Raymond McCartney
Raymond McCartney is a Sinn Féin politician, and a former hunger striker and volunteer within the Provisional Irish Republican Army .-IRA membership:...
. Nelis is the current Hon. President of Sinn Féin in Derry, the second person and only woman to receive the honour. She was presented with the Paul O Dwyer Award by the IAUC for her work for peace and justice in Ireland. She writes the political column in the Sunday Journal and also contributes to the Sinn Féin paper, An Phoblacht
An Phoblacht
An Phoblacht is the official newspaper of Sinn Féin in Ireland. It is published once a month, and according to its website sells an average of up to 15,000 copies every month and was the first Irish paper to provide an edition online and currently having in excess of 100,000 website hits per...
.