Ireland President Mary Robinson accepted the Harvard Foundations's award of public service, human rights and intercultural relations at a dinner at Winthrop House last night.

Robinson, who received a LL.M. degree from Harvard Law School in 1968, was elected Ireland's first woman president in 1990.

Robinson said her time spent here in the late '60s had taught her the value of questioning social issues.

"I found that I had both the confidence and the courage to ask questions and to make changes in the society that I was involved in," she said.

Although Robinson said she was inspired by her time at a Harvard troubled by debate on Vietnam, civil rights and the merger of Harvard and Radcliffe, she said she was hardly a model future leader.

While attending a buffet dinner with the dean of the Law School, she said, she grew tired to hearing other students' ambitious plans for the future.

"When you've listened to five or six like that and you're Irish," Robinson explained, "a little miggle gets in the back of you mind."

She said she told the dean, "I'm delighted to be at Harvard, and I'm really just going to enjoy myself."

Although her position is what Robinson calls a "reflective office," she says her role is to build peace at home and abroad.

"My task is to extend to hand of friendship to the two communities in Northern Ireland," she said.

The dinner in Robinson's honor was attended byCambridge Mayor Kenneth E. Reeves '72, whopresented Robinson at a pre-dinner reception, andother city and University officials.

About 150 attended the dinner, which was filmedby Irish public television. The dining hall wasdisguised by potted plants, draped sheets andlattice work. Although much of the seating wasreserved for invited guests, 50 Winthrop Houseresidents attended.

A line of limousines and police cars blockedMill St. throughout the president's stay, and amotorcade of six police motorcycles waited toescort her from the House