Geoghegan-Quinn writing 'explosive' political exposé
Currently Ireland's nominee on the European Court of Auditors, the 52-year-old Galway woman is basing her memoir on the detailed diaries she has kept all her life.
Having served in virtually every Fianna Fáil government since 1978 until her resignation from politics in 1998, she has extensive knowledge of what went on behind the scenes.
"It will probably never be published or I will be up in the courts or I will have to wait until some people are dead," she said.
But she believes there is not enough published by people involved in politics in Ireland.
"A lot have lived through very interesting times and did not record it.
"We do not have a tradition of it and it is a pity," she said.
Ms Geoghegan-Quinn has been directly involved or on the side lines during Fianna Fáil's most contentious years. She was appointed a parliamentary secretary by Jack Lynch in 1978 and survived the Haughey coup when he took over as Taoiseach and party leader in 1979.
She became the first woman minister in an Irish government when Mr Haughey made her Minister for the Gaeltacht in 1979 but she resigned in 1991 over his leadership style and activities.
She says she was, in fact, fired because she was too outspoken.
"I was always far too outspoken and it is always a great disadvantage. I got fired because of it in 1991 and I thought my career was finished. I really thought it was the end," she said.
Deserting Mr Haughey proved wise just months later when he was forced to resign for tapping journalists' phones and various financial scandals.
She was back again in government after Albert Reynolds' successful heave against Mr Haughey the following year. As Minister for Justice she was rarely out of the public eye, whether the issue at hand was corruption and former minister Ray Burke, or the Fr Brendan Smyth paedophilia case that led to Mr Reynold's resignation.
She defended Mr Reynolds in the Dáil over the contentious 'passports for sale' issue and at the time suggested the Progressive Democrats had secured investment in a golf club by similar means.
She was due to challenge Mr Ahern for the leadership of Fianna Fáil but withdrew her name shortly before the vote.
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