It's a big con job. We have sold the myth of Dublin as a sexy place incredibly well; because it is a dreary little dump most of the time.

Schools don't really allow failure and yet it's part of any endeavour, not just writing.

When I'm writing I just think there's only the page and me and nobody else.

I've been asked why does Ireland produce so many great musicians, and the answer is it doesn't. When you count the great musicians Ireland has given the world in the last 20 years, you can do it on one hand.

I tend to plan as I write. And I want to leave myself open and the character open to keep on going until it seems to be the time to stop.

I like naming characters.

When I was growing up, the exam system didn't allow you to write fiction, so you never did.