Mary O'Rourke's much-anticipated memoir is about to hit the bookshelves.

'Just Mary', published by Gill and Macmillan, will be launched at events in Dublin tomorrow (Thursday) and in Athlone's Shamrock Lodge Hotel on Sunday.

The former Government Minister from Athlone will also appear on RTE's Late Late Show on Friday and will sign copies of the book in Dublin on Saturday.

Speaking to the Westmeath Independent, Ms O'Rourke said it was not a "high and mighty" book.

"It won't get the posh reviews, the ones that want you to be doing something 'grand'. It's not. How could it be grand? I wasn't reared grand and I didn't live my life grand. It's a very ordinary, everyday book but interesting, I think.

"I would have insights into people, and insights into situations, which might not have caught the observation of the media of the day, and I think they'd be interesting," she commented.

The book covers milestones such as her brother Brian Lenihan's bid for the presidency, the Eircom sell-off, the so-called 'St Valentine's Day Massacre' when Albert Reynolds took power, and party tensions in the run up to the most recent election.

Pivotal figures in Irish politics such as Charlie Haughey, Garret FitzGerald, Pádraig Flynn and Bertie Ahern are discussed. Ms O'Rourke also describes the difficulties of balancing her busy career with raising a family.

* To read our full interview with Mary O'Rourke, pick up a copy of this week's Westmeath Independent