6th December 2009Miriam O'Callaghan meets the first female President of Ireland, Mary Robinson and her close friend and former Special Advisor in Áras an Uachtaráin Bride Rosney. In their first ever interview together they discuss their childhoods in Ballina, Co Mayo and Caherciveen, Co. Kerry, the roots of their friendship in the Wood Quay protests of the late 70s, the uphill battle to win the Presidency and how they worked together during Mary's pioneering years in Áras an Uachtaráin and later in Geneva when Mary was appointed UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
During the campaign for the Presidency Mary describes getting an early lesson in her appearance from Labour's Jim Kemmy, "He said 'Mary you'll have to smarten yourself up if you're going to be running for the Presidency'".
On their relationship Bride Rosney tells Miriam "Mary has an amazing heart...I describe it that she always sees the glass half-full, I'll always see it half-empty".
Mary says of Bride "She's the friend who tells you what you don't want to hear, but need to hear. There were a few times when I really resented that..."
When Mary took up the position of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Bride went with her to Geneva for the first eleven months. Mary Robinson tells Miriam that without Bride's support "I don't think I would have been able to survive those first few months, they were so tough".