Corrigan, Mairead (Mairead Corrigan Maguire) [key], 1944–, Northern Irish peace activist, b. Belfast. Corrigan was a secretary and volunteer social worker in the Catholic neighborhoods of Belfast when three of her sister's children were killed by a car driven by an Irish Republican Army (IRA) terrorist that went out of control after being fired on by British troops. Betty Williams, who witnessed the incident, joined with Corrigan to form Women for Peace, later the Community of Peace People, a movement of Catholics and Protestants dedicated to ending sectarian fighting in Northern Ireland. For their work the two women were awarded the 1976 Nobel Peace Prize. She remained active in Peace People after the 1970s, though its importance diminished, and has advocated internationally for peace and other issues.
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