Former taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said he hopes that his memoir will serve as the first draft of history for what was an eventful time in Irish politics.
Speaking at the launch of the book in The National Library tonight he said the country had changed for the better over the last decade.
“I know there’s a global pushback against social progress, but I hope that’s not going to be the case in this country, and that it is just a phase the world is going through, one that we’re going to reject as a country,” he said.
The launch was attended by the current Fine Gael leader and Tánaiste Simon Harris, who is described in the book as at times being akin to “a little brother”.
Former ministers Frances Fitzgerald, Michael Ring, Paul Kehoe, Lucinda Creighton and Eamon Ryan were also in attendance.
Some well-known political figures, who sat on the opposition benches during Mr Varadkar’s time as Taoiseach, were present including Clare Daly and Mick Wallace.
The former taoiseach admitted that the government he was a part of did “mess up” on water charges but he added that it introduced a property tax and climate law that was publicly accepted.
Mr Varadkar told his audience that political decisions are almost always complicated.
He said they are often 60:40 or 55:45 but “you can’t go on Morning Ireland and say that”.
The book was launched by former RTÉ broadcaster Bryan Dobson who recounted that Mr Varadkar always delivered a news line during an interview, even if it wasn’t the one he had intended.
He also recalled his interactions with Boris Johnson, the former British Prime Minister during much of Mr Varadkar’s time as taoiseach, who Mr Dobson described as the “nastiest person” he had met in public life.