It's a family affair at the launch of John Horgan's book, Noel Browne, Passionate Outsider. Three striking women sign the visitors' book and explain why they're smiling. Having missed "all those book launches" over the last couple of years, Susan Scanaillhas finally made it back from Malta to attend this literary occasion in the National Museum.
Susan, who is the younger daughter - "and the boldest" , quips her mother, Phyllis Browne - did not even make the launch of her mother's book, Thanks for the Tea, Mrs Browne, My Life with Noel, two years ago. Ruth Browne, the elder daughter, is here too, smiling as her mother reminds the two of them that she's now on the second volume. "O, Lord, she's going to tell all," laughs Susan.
Others arrive to hear Michael D. Higgins TD praise the author and the book and extol the virtues of Browne. Prof Tom Garvin, head of politics in UCD, and "an old friend of John Horgan's" is here. Ruth Barrington, author of the 1987 book, Health, Medicine and Politics in Ireland chats to Charles Lysaght, the biographer of Brendan Bracken, who was "Churchill's right-hand man during the war". But all chat must stop, we are called to order, the speeches get underway and the book is launched.