Causes of stress
I took over six months ago, and so far it's been very hectic but very rewarding. But it's a pressure post. In terms of the day-to-day job, I don't think it has held surprises, although I'm very conscious of the responsibilities the job brings. Amnesty is the last hope for improving the human-rights situation for millions of people around the world. This serves as the driving force for the work I do, but to dwell on it too much would crush you.
I also have the responsibility of managing Amnesty as an organisation with 15,000 members in Ireland. It's still a growing organisation, and this brings a different sort of pressure to working on behalf of victims.
Dealing with the media also has its moments. I have several media contacts a day, but the number of times we are sought out is reassuring, because it shows the credibility and trust in the organisation. It's true the buck stops with me, but all of the people who work here are brilliant at their jobs and have an obvious personal commitment to Amnesty.
Coping with stress
I'm married to Rebecca, and we have two boys, Jake (4) and Ben (2). We're only in our house in Tara, Co Meath, a year; I did some work on the garden in the summer and got my vegetable patch up and running. I'm a great believer in having fun, and I love sport. I've always enjoyed comedy. It's part of what keeps you sane. If I was dumped on a desert island, I would want the works of Billy Connolly.
My greatest personal happiness is watching my kids play, and just listening to them. Jake recently asked me: "Daddy, what colour is your work?"
Carrying on
There are shocking things in this job every day, but it's like people who work for the emergency services: they deal with injured and sick people and see terrible things, but they still go about their jobs. It's a thin line, and it's all about not shutting yourself off from people.
In conversation with Elaine Edwards