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

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

To claim that music is more important than oxygen would be trite and sentimental. It would also be true.

She's a pot-of-tea-before-I-say-boo-to-you woman. There's always a pile of warm teabags in the sink when I come down, like what a horse would leave behind.

The Irish are the niggers of Europe, lads.

I write short stories when a little idea occurs to me, that I know isn't a part of a novel that will stand by itself and should be concentrated.

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.