Out of the darkness, into the light: Mary Coughlan on building bridges and banishing her demons

AT A RECENT garden party in Áras an Uachtaráin President Michael D Higgins spoke of the “formidable Mary Coughlan”, and so for the purposes of this interview we’re going to borrow his words, because try as we might to come up with a better opening description we can’t.

Hilarious, witty, self- deprecating, honest and mindful are just some of the words people have used to describe Mary Coughlan.

However, as she admits herself there was a time when people were less complimentary, but she’s done a lot of “bridge building” since then and is now focussed on “peace and reconciliation”.