ON THE COUCH:Sr Nan O'Mahony is chairwoman of the National Association for Hospital Chaplains
Family/personal:
I am from a family of seven children and a member of the Loreto Order.
Which living person do you most admire and why?
I have huge admiration for Mary McAleese who has done great work for North-South relationships, as well as promoting women.
What do you regard as the top three problems facing Ireland's health system?
Lack of provision for the elderly is a big issue.
We need to develop palliative care for all people at the end of their lives and provide extra resources to allow elderly and sick people who want to be at home to stay at home.
What is your greatest extravagance?
I have taken a vow of poverty and, as a result, I can honestly say that I don't have any extravagances.
What is your most unhealthy habit?
Being a perfectionist.
How do you relax?
Watching TV, walking and reading.
Who would you invite to your dream dinner party?
I don't really throw parties, but if I did organise a dinner party I would invite my friends and family.
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
There is so much excess in the world and yet there are so many people without. My idea of perfect happiness is that everyone would have enough.
What trait do you most value in your friends?
Honesty and loyalty.
What talent would you most like to have?
To be able to sing or play an instrument.
Do you use alternative/complementary medicines or therapies?
Yes. I get massages.
What is your earliest memory?
Walking through a snow-covered field we used to call the "high field" at home in Inniscarra, Co Cork with my father.
What is your most treasured possession?
Again, with my vow of poverty I don't have treasured possessions.
What other career might you have chosen?
I have been lucky to have had a varied career. I was a home economics teacher and a counsellor before I became a chaplain.
I really enjoy my job as a chaplain now and will be working on Christmas Day. I quite like working on that day. It is one of the easier days to work and I feel that God is present.
What books or films do you believe have inspired you?
I found The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas a very powerful film and I enjoy reading light and uplifting books.
• Sr Nan O'Mahony is also chaplain at Marymount Hospice in St Patrick's Hospital in Cork