Mara ‘happy to be father again’ at 71

Former government spin doctor PJ Mara has spoken for the first time about his baby and how the recent birth has changed his life after becoming a father again at 71.

The PR guru said his 13-week-old daughter has brought him great happiness, but not too many sleepless nights, admitting he is not the most hands-on father in the world.

“I’m a great believer in new life,” said Mr Mara. “She’s a beautiful child. Her mother’s a very smart woman. It’s nice to have that happen in your life, later than you planned perhaps.”

The former Fianna Fáil director of elections lives in Ballsbridge, Dublin, but regularly travels to the Caribbean for work.

He lost his wife, Breda, just over a decade ago and has a son, John, in his 30s, who is involved in property.

“I’ve been a widower for 10 years,” he said.

Mr Mara joked about older men who have fathered children in their latter years, making reference to Charlie Chaplin becoming a father again when he was 73.

He added: “It hasn’t made a whole lot of difference in my day-to-day life. I’m very busy; I travel a lot. Her mum has to do all the [things].”

Since celebrating the birth in June, Mr Mara has revealed very little about the baby girl or her mother.

“I get to see the child every day, of course, yes,” he said. “She’s a beautiful baby, 13 weeks. It’s good, it’s fine, it’s a new life, it’s interesting, it keeps me engaged and another responsibility. On a day-to-day basis, I’m not exactly the most hands-on father in the history of the world.”

In his drawing room, Mr Mara pointed to a picture of himself and a younger woman, both of them dressed in immaculate white, who he identifies as his companion. Asked how he met the mother of his baby, he replies: “I met the mother here in Dublin. She’s smart. She’s a lawyer, highly skilled. She’s good, she’s great, a good companion. Clever, interesting, smart, good-humoured.”

Asked if he was happy, he answered: “Yeah, I’m 71 years of age, I’m going around the world, in the next six months I’m going to be travelling the world doing interesting things.”

When contacted by the Irish Examiner, the mother of the baby girl asked that her privacy and that of the baby be respected.