On the outside looking in - Sam McAughtry

In 1971 Sam McAughtry was at his lowest ebb - not only was he disillusioned with politics, he was also struggling to cope with a drink problem. Yet, by 2002, he had become one of Ireland's most acclaimed writers and broadcasters and was legendary for his passionate political activism. This forthright and revealing memoir is the story of that transformation. With honesty and humour McAughtry describes how he rebuilt his life and discovered his talent as a storyteller and a writer. Along the way he gives a vivid account of his encounters with writers, politicians and celebrities and of his work as an award-winning journalist for the Irish Times and as a broadcaster for the BBC and RTE.;Never afraid to speak his mind, McAughtry's view of politics is candid and refreshingly open. Embracing his identity as both Irish and British, he was a key member of the Peace Train Organisation and an influential trade union activist. A Belfastman through and through, his memoir records his twenty-five-year love affair with Dublin and is a tribute to the openness he found there. His election to the Irish Senate, the first person from Northern Ireland to hold this honour, is a testament to the esteem in which the city holds him.