My Life in Books: 'Nothing nicer than a wander in a bookshop'

Retired garda Dearbhla Mescal, mother of famous actor Paul, has just released her new collection of poems and reflections

Dearbhla Mescal: 'I adore biographies, I love the insight they give me.'

Dearbhla Mescal’s book Finding Joy, published by Eriu, is a collection of poems and reflections which encourages readers to find sparks of happiness in the everyday.

A retired garda, she was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2022 and is now in remission from the disease. She is a mother of three; the actor Paul, recruitment consultant Donnacha, and singer Nell, and lives in Co Kildare.