Nearly €20,000 in royalties from a book on the life of late TD Brian Lenihan have been donated to the Irish Cancer Society.

The authors of Brian Lenihan in Calm and Crisis, a collection of essays on the life and work of the TD and minister, who died of pancreatic cancer in 2011, presented a cheque for €19,010 for the book’s first-year royalties to the cancer charity outside Dáil Éireann recently.

Published by Merrion Press in November 2014, the bestseller includes extended essays from those directly involved with Lenihan at all stages of his professional life, including his time as Minister for Finance. Contributors include Christine Lagarde, Mary McAleese, Ray MacSharry and Patrick Honohan.

“We are delighted that so many people took the opportunity to buy and enjoy the book, ” said Mary O’Rourke, one of the book’s editors and contributors, and an aunt of Lenihan. “We are particularly happy that such a fine sum has been raised for the Irish Cancer Society, a very appropriate charity which does such fine work throughout the country.”

Accepting the donation, Kathleen O’Meara of the Irish Cancer Society said: “Over 35,000 people in Ireland are diagnosed with cancer each year with cancer incidence set to increase.

“As the national cancer charity, the society provides free cancer services to cancer patients nationwide as well as funding vital research to find better ways of diagnosing and treating cancer.”

Brian Lenihan in Calm and Crisis is available in all good bookshops and future royalties will continue to go to the Irish Cancer Society.