Gareth O'Callaghan

Writing O'Callaghan has been writing since 1995. To date, he is the author of six best-selling works – five novels and a memoir. He has contributed two stories to the New Island Open Door series, entitled Joe's Wedding and Stray Dog.

New Island publishes literary fiction, poetry, drama, biography, politics and social affairs. O'Callaghan wrote A Day Called Hope: A Journey Beyond Depression about his own personal experience of severe depression. The book detailed how, as soon as left his radio job each day, he would retreat to his bed, sometimes with thoughts of suicide. It became one of the biggest-selling books in Ireland in 2003, and continues to sell in huge numbers. It has been published in 15 countries, and translated into 10 languages.

O'Callaghan is also a regular contributor to many of the national newspapers in Ireland, having written regularly for The Irish Times, the Sunday Independent and the Evening Herald. He is currently writing a sequel to A Day Called Hope, and is also said to be working on a new novel. His seventh book, What Matters Now: A Memoir of Hope and Finding a Way Through the Dark, was published in March 2021.

Personal life O'Callaghan's first marriage broke down in 2005.

O'Callaghan spent six weeks in hospital after a car crash in Cork in March 2023.

Advocacy O'Callaghan is a prominent supporter of suicide and depression-related topics, having had previous personal experience of these throughout his adult life. He has written books dealing with such topics, and was a supporter of the Irish suicide charity Console Suicide charity Ireland before its closure, representing them in Dáil Éireann debates on at least one occasion.