The Secret Life Of Leinster House

by Gavan Reilly

What is it like to run for election? How do public representatives deal with the cut-throat competition from their rivals – and their own running mates? How intense is the work? What’s the Dáil bar really like? Why are parliamentary party meetings so leaky? What goes on behind closed doors at Cabinet meetings? What do special advisers actually do?

And why, given the almost constant abuse that now comes with the job, would anyone want to do it?

Political Correspondent Gavan Reilly takes us inside Dáil Éireann to discover what it takes to survive in Ireland’s political cauldron. With unprecedented access to political insiders, The Secret Life of Leinster House lifts the lid on the corridors of power as never before – revealing how Irish politics really works, and the demands it places on those who make it their lives.

Genres: Nonfiction, Ireland, Politics, Irish Literature

238 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2025

Reviews

[Jack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely flew through this one from one of the top journalists in the country.

Very, very easy to read and manages to make the most mundane parts of our political system pretty riveting.

The author is such a good writer and renowned journalist that I actually found myself a little disappointed there wasn’t more to sink my teeth into.

The book covers many areas across its 230 or so pages, but some chapters are pretty shallow. I hope that’s due to trying to make it as accessible as possible.

I cant shake a feeling that it could’ve have sacrificed some of its accessibility to go at least a bit further in depth.

Hard not to have a small twinge of disappointment as no doubt the author has deeper insight, more sources and more stories about the secret life of Leinster house.

[A. Oosthoek · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Much about Leinster House is accidental. Even its use as the primary venue of Irish politics was an accident.”

[..]

“For much of the twentieth century, before housing estates became so plentiful and Ireland’s population began rising so quickly, expert tallymen were so infinitely familair with their local turf that it was sometimes possible to identify the swing voters almost by name.”

—-

De titel van dit boek over de geheimen achter de deuren van het Ierse parlementsgebouw trok al vaak genoeg mijn aandacht in de boekenwinkel, maar de nominatie van dit boek voor de boekenclub op werk trok me echt over de drempel. Van het boek dan. Het parlement blijkt best lastig om te bezoeken.

Maargoed, wat dit boek zo leuk maakt is dat het de politieke cultuur van the Emerald Isle bloot leegt. Verschillende parlementariers (TD: Teachta Dála genoemd) worden geinterviewd en geven bijzonder openhartige inzichten. Daaruit blijkt één rode draad: Ierse politici (en met name de vele backbenchers) zijn het grootste deel van de dag bezig met ombudswerk in plaats van wetten maken en bediscussieren. Enerzijds oogt het effectief om politiek en maatschappij dichter bij elkaar te brengen. Anderzijds is het dermate geinstitutionaliseerd dat sommige publieke overheidsdiensten speciale telefoonnummers hebben voor TD’s die proberen specifieke dossiers bovenop de stapel te krijgen om hun lokale achterban te helpen. Mijn eigen gok: deze cultuur is een historisch overblijfsel van een tijd (tot nog geen 40 jaar geleden) toen Ierland nog relatief arm, klein en op zichzelf gericht was. En ik betwijfel of nieuwe generaties politici die stijl blijven aanhouden.

In ieder geval erg toegankelijk en dus een aanrader om te lezen als introductie tot het Ierse staatsbestel.

[James Moran]

didn't realise Leinster house was like the west wing 😍

[Cathal McGuinness · Rating 4 out of 5]

More interesting than I thought it would be, in fairness.

[Rob Keenan · Rating 2 out of 5]

CSPE for slow learners. Best part was when he said that civil servants in Roinn an Taoisigh are a special bunch.

[Graham Connors · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Audiobook*

Very, very interesting in an anorak kind of way! I never thought the inner workings of the chambers of Irish politics would have been so interesting and so amusing! It's well worth a read or a listen, as I did. The audiobook might be a bit more digestible, in fact.

Would I recommend this book? Yes, I would.

[Finn · Rating 4 out of 5]

An overall enjoyable and worthwhile read for anyone with even a passing interest in the workings of the Irish political system.

I particularly enjoyed the sections about the role of the Taoiseach and the Cabinet.

However, if you already follow Irish politics closely, there will not be much enlightening about this book, as most of its content is public knowledge.

Still worth a read for sure.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

[Peter Thew · Rating 4 out of 5]

An informative guide to how government in Ireland really works, written by the well-known correspondent for Virgin Media News. It's highly informative and gives a real sense of the day to day difficulties faced by all hands.

[Caoimhe · Rating 3 out of 5]

niche

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really really enjoyed this. Learnt so much. Fascinated to find out that Charlie Haughey insisted on having only the shiniest grapes. Incredible.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sounds juicy! You pick it up expecting scandal, maybe a politician passed out under a desk, or a secret tunnel to the nearest pub. It turns out to be a lot of polite political gossip. It's like being invited to a wild party and turning up to find everyone talking about committee minutes over digestive biscuits.
Gavan Reilly clearly knows his stuff — he’s like that mate who remembers everything that’s ever happened in the news. Impressive, but after a while you're like, “Alright, mate. We get it. You know how the Dáil works.”

Still, credit where it’s due — he does make the madness of Irish politics make some sort of sense. That alone deserves a medal. The weird traditions, the off-the-record nonsense, the passive-aggressive power plays. That’s where it shines. But just when it gets interesting, it pulls back — like it’s afraid of getting anyone too upset. Bit of a tease!

[James Durkan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Secret Life Of Leinster House / Gavan Reilly

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

~ My sole concern was making sure I didn’t fuck things up for them… ~

I seem to end the year with an Irish Politics book, classy as always sure.

This was a good insight into Leinster House and the inner workings and how it can take over your life. Reilly offers some well informed insight, and the interviews provided give light onto the politicians as people.

As RuPaul would say - Good Luck, and don’t fuck it up. And that’s ever so true for politics.

2025 out, here’s to 2026.

Audiobook Length: 7hrs, 25mins
Narrator: Gavan Reilly

🎧 Listened to on Borrowbox 🎧

Read: 21/12/25 - 30/12/25
Release Date: 16/05/25

[Daryl Feehely · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting look behind the curtain into the logistics, machinations, motivations, and quirks of working in Leinster house, primarily as an elected representative.

Gavan does a great job of portraying the day-to-day details of being a TD or Senator with anecdotes, stories, differing generational experiences, and high-level reflections on the balance between the toll of public life and the rewards of serving as a legislator. An essential read for any aspiring politician and equally for those interested in the Irish politics as a whole.

[Eoghan Dowling · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really insightful read on the ins and outs of Irish democracy and the houses of parliament. For a general overview of what goes on for a TD, advisor, member of the media, or anyone associated with the Oireachtas it gave a good impression of what daily life looks like and highlights the sacrifices that are often taboo topics with those associated with Irish politics. I sped through this book after getting it for Christmas and would recommend it to anyone who has even a minor interest in Irish politics in social media era.

[Stephanie Kirby · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable deep dive into the Byzantine world of Irish politics with a host of well known personalities from 2020-2024 coming to the fore. The anecdotes and gleeful recounting of the nuances of Leinster House life and gossip (should these even be separated? LH life seems to spring from LH gossip …!) are retold with the zest of a real political anorak. One to savour now with the election in full swing … only pity is that the Aras never got a chapter …

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting, unbiased account of the workings of Leinster House. A beneficial insight into the life of those in politics for anyone who does not have someone close to them with a related career. I fear those who are reading this book will already have a degree of empathy for politicians that (in my opinion) the general public lack.
Enjoyable anecdotes and fun facts, as always expected with Gavan.

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fast and easy read - which while decent is in some ways a shame. It feels a little shallow. It does manage to not feel rushed but with all these people talking off the record, I was left wanting more pretty much across the board. It felt.. slightly mundane perhaps. Maybe it's an easy read and for a general audience but the pull and push between government political priorities and civil servants isn't exactly a revelation ya know? Still, worth a read.

[Ben Hegan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommended! It is a very easy read, which is a huge compliment from my perspective. It is clear, to the point and very insightful. I just loved reading about the details of how the other jurisdiction on this island is operated. Fascinating and exactly up my street. I appreciated it so much that I read it in three days. Very highly recommended!

[Mr Warren Reilly · Rating 5 out of 5]

if you have even a passing interest in Irish politics this is an excellent read. If you want to get into politics at any level this is the best primer you can get. Leinster House an asylum or the best attempt at keeping our country sane? You will find arguments for both sides in these pages. Gavin Reilly has done a great job of unveiling some of the mystery.

[Dylan Sheridan · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5/5. A thorough insight of the workings of Leinster House, however felt it was a bit like being in school. If anything, it made me feel more disillusioned with the aptitude of our elected officials. As is mentioned in a chapter towards the end, everyone just cares about being re-elected, more risk and needle is needed in Irish politics.

[Aiden · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I enjoyed reading this and certainly learned a lot, I was left feeling underwhelmed. I think that the tone and general approach were more middlebrow than I prefer. There is another book to be written that explores the Oireachtas in more depth.

[Adam Schmitz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic insight into Irish Politics, answering questions I never knew I had! Read it while travelling and was consistently looking forward to the next chance I got to sit down and read a few pages. Worth reading for anyone who’s even remotely interested in how Ireland runs.

[Brendan Crowley · Rating 4 out of 5]

As good a book as could be written about the inner working of Irish politics without getting into gossip and rumour. should be mandatory reading for leaving cert civics. Gavan is a fantastic communicator.

[Cian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would prefer the Vincent Browne version of this book ("It'd do your head in, wouldn't it") but Gav is a good skin too. Funny asides and trivia abound. Worth a read if you're a sicko for this kind of thing *raises hand*.

[Ais · Rating 3 out of 5]

an interesting insight into the lifecycle of an irish politician. repetitive and dry at times, but overall very accessible. the direct quotes from former and current politicians lightened up what could have been a very dense text.

too many quotes from heather humphreys 🤢

[Darragh · Rating 3 out of 5]

A really enjoyable read!

[Jack Connolly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great insight into Irish politics!

[Amy McAuley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very interesting and informative book detailing the reality of becoming a politician in Ireland. I really enjoyed the writing style, anecdotes and quotes from various politicians.

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was a good overall 'Irish politics for dimmies'. it wasn't nuanced or critical, but did a good job of outlining the basics of how things work in the Irish legislature.