Although he never served as Taoiseach, he was undoubtedly more influential than several of those who did during the second half of the twentieth century. Hillery’s influence on significant turning points in contemporary Irish history, including the arms crisis in 1970 and Ireland’s accession to the European Community, is considered in the light of his own concerns and preoccupations. Hillery’s recollections of the most controversial events of his career, notably the Papal visit in 1979 and attempts by leading politicians to influence the President’s decisions in 1982, are analysed for the first time.

'A marvellous achievement - an authoritative, revelatory and stylish biography of one the most significant (and modest) figures in Irish twentieth-century politics, and an extraordinary lens through which we can view and evaluate one of the most turbulent periods in our modern history.'   John Horgan, Author of Seán Lemass - The Enigmatic Patriot