Michael McGrath has bared his soul about the devastating miscarriage he and his wife Sarah endured which he says will always stay with him.

The former finance minister has seven children with Sarah, ranging in age from eight to 22, or as he puts it 'we kinda have three families in one.'

Jack their eldest came along when he was just 25 years old, followed five years later by four more boys, Ronan, David, Tom, and Luke, and finally their two girls, Ruth and Kate, joined the family.

It's the loss of another son, Daniel, that still haunts him to this day. Michael recalls cradling him as he said goodbye and how the experience has stayed with him years later.

'I remember holding him, even though it was only a second trimester it was a little baby. It will always stay with you,' he told the Irish Times.

He also opened up about how he feels a certain level of guilt over the miscarriage pain because they are so fortunate to have such a large family.

'We're just so fortunate that you feel guilty talking about any loss because we have so, so much,' he said.

Michael admits that there was never a plan to have such a large family and that it comes with its own set of challenges as there's lots of 'sharing and compromise'.

He said: 'They'll take as much time as you can give them. Having more just means you're spreading yourself more thinly...

'But they're able to give each other something as well... We've always encouraged them to remain close, and to be friends.'