‘I am nervous about telling my story' says RTE icon as she prepares to launch long-awaited memoir

The Irish Sun

06-06-2025

RTE legend Miriam O'Callaghan has announced that she is finally set to release her long-awaited memoir.
The popular presenter will lift the lid on her outstanding life and career in her new book Miriam: Life, Work, Everything, which is set to hit shelves on October 30, 2025.
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Miriam is finally set to release her long-awaited memoir
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The book is being published in October
The book is being published by Sandycove, an imprint of Penguin Random House and it'll be available in print, e-book and audio.
The 65-year-old also hosts an award-winning radio show Sunday With Miriam on RTE
Combining career success, glamour and being a mother-of-eight is what makes Miriam a truly unique figure in Irish public life.
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In her absorbing memoir, Miriam shares touching stories from her personal life and fascinating insights into a career that has given her a ringside seat to a changing Ireland.
Opening up about the new book, she said: "I have written my memoir, I can't believe I am saying that."
The radio star revealed that it's been more than 20 years since Sandycove first sent her a contract.
She said: "Let's just say, it's taken a while. I thank them for their patience, persistence and belief in my story."
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Miriam admitted that she has always lived life in "fast forward" and never thought she'd stop long enough to "look back and reflect".
She said: "I also wondered if anyone would be interested", but that changed when she received a prompt from editor Patricia Deevey.
Miriam O'Callaghan shares snaps from Paddy's Day celebrations
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Miriam initially thought the book would just focus on her work but she quickly realised that her professional and personal lives couldn't be separated.
She said: "At first I thought it would just be about my work as a journalist, but then when I began writing I realised how impossible it was to separate my professional and personal lives.
"I don't know if that's because I'm a woman or a mother or both or none of those things, but I just knew that for my story to be authentic and truthful, I couldn't simply focus on the work side of my life."
Over a four decade career, Miriam has fronted some of the biggest stories in Irish history.
'NERVOUS'
She said: "I have been lucky enough to have had an eyewitness view. It was a privilege to cover the peace process for both the BBC and RTE, and at times it has been emotional looking back."
Among her "major career moments" are presenting on the days of both the Good Friday Agreements and the 2015 Marriage Referendum.
She also recalled interviewing Leo Varadkar in the same year he became the first cabinet minister in Ireland to come out as gay, as well as campaigning for John Hume to become 'Ireland's Greatest' in 2010.
But it hasn't all been positive for Miriam as she admitted: "I also reflect on the worst year of my life, 1995, my BC and AD — the year that forced me to rethink everything."
The mum-of-eight revealed she's often approached by members of the public and it's not always to talk about politics or interviews.
She explained: "More often than not they, usually women, quickly segue into asking me about having eight children and how I managed to hold down a big career, so that's why my story is about life, work and everything."
Despite decades in the spotlight, Miriam has said: "In truth I am nervous about telling my story — it's probably why it took me so long to write it.
"All I can hope is that people will read it and find it interesting, authentic, entertaining and hopeful."