Risteárd Mulcahy

Professor Risteárd Mulcahy was head of the cardiology department and the heart disease research unit at St Vincent's Hospital in Dublin. He is a past president of the Irish Medical Association and was one of the founders of the Irish Heart Association. He has a strong political background. Risteárd has devoted much of his professional life researching the causes of coronary heart disease and has been active in the prevention of heart disease through healthy eating, regular aerobic exercise and the control of cigarette smoking. He has had a long-term interest in the health service in Ireland. Risteárd also practices what he preaches: he works two days a week, remains a keen walker who fits in 18 holes of golf two or three times a week and he ran his first marathon at the age of sixty-one.

*Interview with Risteárd Mulcahy*

When did the idea for your latest book, My Father, the General, first come to you?

About two years ago when suggested by Seán O’Keeffe, Liberties' editorial director. His suggestion followed the private publication of Richard Mulcahy, Family Memoir. This new title however, has been transformed to address my father's historical input.

What attracted you to the topic of My Father, the General?

I have always been interested in my father’s role in the independence movement and I considered that his seminal military role had in particular been neglected by historians.

How long did it take you to write?

The final text took about one month, but much of the material was available in my memoirs, in previous articles by me and my father, and by his substantial papers and tapes in the UCD Archives.

How much research would you prepare before beginning to write a book?

It depends on the nature of the book, but in general it is over years rather than an elective and limited period. My books are generally related to a long-term interest with the slow gathering of material.

What do you find the most challenging aspect of writing?

Controlling the compulsion to have my views conveyed to others, to not be biased, and to write clearly and with the minimum of words.

Was there any aspect that surprised you the most?

The difficulty of being satisfied with the final version and the feeling of doubt and uncertainty about its worth when sent for publication...a trait most authors suffer from!

What are the best conditions for writing?

Isolation, privacy and good preparation in relation to having and finding sources of information. Being away from the home and family environment is essential for good concentrated writing.

Do you picture the reader when writing your books?

Not really, unless the book is aimed at a special group, such as a medical book dealing with a specific subject.

Are you working on a book now?

No but I have one book completed which is currently lying fallow as I have further additions to one or two chapters to make but I am currently suffering from author’s fatigue.

What, as an author, do you see as your biggest responsibility?

To write well so that meaning is clear in every sentence, to be accurate and provide sources of one’s statements where appropriate, and of course to maintain the reader’s interest and attention.

In regards to your writing, did you have much encouragement in your early days?

Not in the early days, but some from fellow authors later in my career.

What was the last book you read?

Marnie Hay’s biography of Bulmer Hobson.

What advice would you give to anyone trying to write or publish their work?

To learn to write so that every sentence is meaningful and does not require the reader to return for a second or third time to understand its content.

If you were heading on your holidays in the next week what book or books would you bring?

One or more of the great biographies – Washington, Wellington, Gladstone, Bismarck, Darwin, etc.