The Dublin writer on what she has lost and would like back, childhood memories, and what she wished she started doing years agoClaire Gleeson. Photograph: Alan Betson
John O'ConnorSun Jun 28 2026 - 06:00 • 4 MIN READHow agreeable are you?I think I am quite agreeable, although hopefully not to the point of being a pushover. I do very much believe in picking your battles, and good manners are very important. I’m definitely on the more agreeable end of the spectrum.What is your middle name and what do you think of it?It’s Mary, like many, many Irish women of my generation. It’s also my mother’s middle name. I think middle names are a nice place to carry on nice traditions like that. Elizabeth is my Confirmation name but I don’t have any connection to the church any more, so that doesn’t really feel like a part of me in the same way as the middle name. Where is your favourite place in Ireland?When the sun is shining, everywhere in Ireland looks fabulous. The last two summers we have spent in Ardara in Co Donegal. It has incredible beaches and spectacular landscapes. I’ve lived in Dublin most of my life and I love it here but it would be nice to get out of the city on a more regular basis. Describe yourself in three wordsLike a lot of writers I am quite introverted and I value my own time. But I’m a natural optimist. That serves me well. As a GP I’m quite patient, but in my personal life, [I am] a lot less patient in general. I think we can cultivate our personalities to a certain degree to the role we’re in. When did you last get angry?I was driving home the other day and saw somebody just openly littering on the street and that really drives me mad. It feels just so out of sync with how the world is now that I am always surprised to see somebody do it so brazenly. You think, at least have the grace to look a bit ashamed of yourself.What have you lost that you would like to have back?We were moving boxes back into the house recently after renovating, and I found that some of the books inside the many boxes were mouldy and warped so I had to throw them out. There was no monetary value in them, just a couple of very old paperbacks, but I’ve brought my books with me to every house I’ve lived in. I nearly see them as a timeline of my life. [ Claire Gleeson: ‘I have dealt with patients who lose complete touch with reality’Opens in new window ]What is your strongest childhood memory?There isn’t one memory but repeated traditions that we had. Christmas Eve in my gran’s house, summer holidays down in Thurles, where my dad grew up. I think children really clutch on to those routines. Those are the things I reminisce with my siblings about now. I hope the same would be true for my children in the future. Where do you come in your family’s birth order and has it defined you?I’m the middle child of three. They say middle children tend to be independent and resilient. I certainly never felt I was overlooked or neglected - the other features of middle-child syndrome. I have three kids of my own and, despite all growing up in the same household, they have very different personalities. I don’t know how much of that is based on birth order or predetermination. When do you think you were happiest?I genuinely don’t think I’ve ever been happier [than] I am now, which I think is a lovely thing to be able to say. My book (Show Me Where It Hurts) came out last year, that was the realisation of a dream that I’ve had for a long, long time.What do you think happens when we die?I don’t think anything happens. I think it’s the end of any sort of consciousness or existence. But I find that reassuring. I remember as a child I found the concept of eternity terrifying. That something would just go on and on and never end. I suppose I feel like life itself is enough of a miracle. I don’t need an afterlife to look forward to.Which actor would play you in a biopic about your life?I’m not sure if my life is interesting enough for a biopic, but Tina Fey. I think she’d bring a nice, dry wit to it, and I know she’d nail the accent. What is your biggest career/personal regret?On a personal level, I’ve never been a regular exerciser and I wish that was something I focused on an earlier stage. I’m in my mid 40s, and I’m realising the importance of building muscle and flexibility as we get older. It’s something I definitely try and put on to my patients but I need to take my own medicine. IN THIS SECTION
