PROFESSOR MONICA MCWILLIAMS ON DESERT ISLAND DISCS
11 June 2019
Peace campaigner, social scientist, esteemed BSSc Social Studies graduate (1975) – and now castaway – Professor Monica McWilliams has shared the soundtrack of her life on BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs.
Born in Ballymoney, County Antrim Monica McWilliams grew up on the family farm near the village of Kilrea, County Londonderry and was educated at Loreto College in Coleraine, graduating from Queen's in 1975.
Speaking about her time at University in the early 70s, Monica McWilliams said: “Queen’s University was a place like a sanctuary, but you were exposed to it (division). A terrible thing happened in 1974 in my second year when I was starting to do part of my finals, a very good friend of mine was murdered.
“What should have been – and were in many ways – happy days of our lives, were also tinged by incredible tragedy”.
After studying urban planning and architecture in inner city Detroit at the University of Michigan, she returned to Northern Ireland and became Professor of Women's Studies and Social Policy at Ulster University.
Professor McWilliams’ first music selection was Van Morrison's Days Like This which, she told Desert Island Discs host Lauren Laverne, was a turning point for her. “In 1994, when my children were very small it was announced that President Clinton and the First Lady Hillary Clinton were coming to Belfast,” she said.
“It was Christmas. I’ll never forget it, we had to walk about three miles because you weren’t allowed to bring cars anywhere close to the city centre. When I turned up there was over 100,000 from east and west, Protestant, Catholic, Nationalist, Unionist, Republican, Loyalist, every shade of diversity were there – and suddenly Van Morrison started singing There will be Days Like This.
“It was a turning point for me,” she added.
In 1996, with Belfast social worker Pearl Sagar and others, she co-founded the cross-community Northern Ireland Women’s Coalition party (which she led until 2006), and went on to take a leading part in the negotiations which eventually led to the Good Friday Agreement in 1998.
Monica McWilliams played a crucial role in the Good Friday Agreement discussions, speaking fondly about Secretary of State Mo Mowlam, whom she described as “the hero of the process” and who “negotiated like you’ve never seen anyone negotiate.”
After serving as an MLA for five years in the Northern Ireland Assembly, in 2005 Monica McWilliams was appointed as Chief Commissioner of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, where she spent a six-year term in office.
When she stepped down from that post, she returned to the world of academia and now works as emeritus professor at UU's Transitional Justice Institute, where she continues her research into domestic violence. She also specialises in conflict resolution and working with women who are in conflict situations.
Speaking about the current situation at Stormont, Professor McWilliams told Desert Island Discs that she was hopeful that devolution and the local political institutions will be restored, despite the political deadlock.
Monica McWilliams other musical choices were:
- Phil Coulter The Town I Loved So Well
- Luis Bacalov Il Postino (her favourite track)
- Carole King You've Got a Friend
- Joan Baez and Mimi Fariña Bread and Roses
- Teal Choir Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika
- Mark Ronson Uptown Funk (feat. Bruno Mars)
- Édith Piaf Non Je Ne Regrette Rien
Looking forward to the spending time on her desert island, listening to the ocean and getting the chance for long walks, Monica McWilliams selected a snorkel as her luxury item, saying she loved swimming underwater and observing fish.
In addition to the bible and the complete works of Shakespeare she selected The Field Day Anthology of Irish Writing Vols IV & V – known as The Women’s Anthology – to read.
You can listen again to Professor Monica McWilliams chatting to Lauren Laverne on Desert Island Discs here: http://go.qub.ac.uk/MMcWDID.
To submit graduate news items, or for general enquiries about this story, please contact Gerry Power, Communications Officer, Development and Alumni Relations Office, Queen's University Belfast or telephone: +44 (0)28 9097 5321.
Photo credits: Desert Island Discs, BBC Radio 4
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