Vincent Browne has written a major new biography called Charles Haughey: Glory, Greed and Guns, drawing on archival material and Vincent's own decades of reporting on the former Taoiseach.

Charles "Charlie" Haughey is one of the most divisive figures in Irish political history and a new biography is divign into his career and legacy.

The biography is written by journalist Vincent Browne, who draws on his own decades of experience reporting on the formidable political operator who served three times as Taoiseach.

Vincent explores the man behind the public image, how he acquired his wealth, the events that shaped his political career and what his legacy tells us about Irish politics.

With so much to cover and review, it should come as no surprise that it took Mr Browne many years to complete the biography, telling The Pat Kenny Show that it took him nine years to complete.

He said: "[The book] took me nine years. In the year 2000, he almost died and I sent him a letter saying, 'No, don't die yet. We need to get at you a bit more.'

"And he phoned me and asked me to go out [to him]. And I went out many times between then and his death. We became close friends."

Mr Browne added that they didn't discuss any of his political "embarrassments", but as he didn't take notes during those conversations (aside from two occasions), the book is his recollections of their chats.

He continued: "I did not intend writing a biography of him at that time, and it was only [when] I published a piece about his last years in a magazine on the day that he died and the literary agent, Jonathan Williams, suggested I do a biography. So I did."

Charles Haughey: Glory, Greed and Guns is published by Woodbine Books and is available in book shops now.

Main image: Former Taoiseach Charles Haughey pictured in his Home Abbeville in North County Dublin in 1982. Pic: Eamonn Farrell/RollingNews.ie