ON THE COUCH:Caroline Irwin is chairwoman of the Psoriasis Association of Ireland
Family/personal:
Married to Gerry with three children.
Which living person do you most admire and why?
Nelson Mandela - after all he has been through, it is amazing he is alive and in one piece.
What do you regard as the top three problems facing Ireland's health system?
First, mismanagement of money; second, too many chiefs and not enough Indians; and, third, an acute lack of dermatology services.
What is your greatest extravagance?
Books.
What is your most unhealthy habit?
Eating too many big dinners.
How do you relax?
Reading, going to the cinema and going to Donegal.
Who would you invite to your dream dinner party?
Oscar Wilde and Ernest Henry Shackleton.
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Fishing off the rocks in Co Donegal.
What trait do you most value in your friends?
Loyalty.
What talent would you most like to have?
I'd love to be able to play piano better.
Do you use alternative/ complementary medicines or therapies?
I'd love to be able to use them but I have very bad psoriasis and I can't let it get out of hand.
I use a biological drug to treat it and have to inject it myself twice a week.
However, I think alternative medicine is the way to go for people with milder cases of psoriasis.
What is your earliest memory?
Moving house from Kilkenny to Thurles aged 3 years and 10 months.
What is your most treasured possession?
My dishwasher.
What other career might you have chosen?
I work in the tourist industry. I give guided tours of Kilkenny city and work part-time in the tourist office. As far as another career goes, I have often fancied domestic science or something to do with cooking.
What books or films have inspired you?
The Razor's Edge by Somerset Maugham. I also really enjoy reading biographies.
In conversation with Fiona Tyrrell