The Secret Life of Leinster House

What you really need to know about how the country is run SHORTLISTED FOR THE IRISH BOOK AWARDS 2025

Political Correspondent Gavan Reilly takes us inside Dáil Éireann to discover what it takes to survive in Ireland’s political cauldron. With unprecedented access to political insiders, The Secret Life of Leinster House lifts the lid on the corridors of power as never before.

What is it like to run for election? How do public representatives deal with the cut-throat competition from their rivals – and their own running mates? What’s the Dáil bar really like? And why, given the almost constant abuse that now comes with the job and the demands it places on those who make it their lives, would anyone want to do it?

Who better than Virgin Media’s Political Correspondent Gavan Reilly to take us inside the house of political power in Ireland to answer these questions and more? His clever illustration of Ireland’s electoral system (using Smarties on a viral video that has been viewed over 1.7 million times!) demystified the complexities of Irish political power for many. Now, in The Secret Life of Leinster House, he shows what it takes to make it as a politician in Ireland and gives readers a ringside seat at the Cabinet table.

Meet the whips, lobbyists and special advisers pulling the strings. Discover exactly how leaked minutes from parliamentary party meetings end up on the Six One News. With unprecedented access to political insiders, The Secret Life of Leinster House lifts the lid on what really goes on, revealing what politicians want you to know about them – and what they don’t!  

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