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.

The problem with being Irish... is having 'Riverdance' on your back. It's a burden at times.

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

When I was a kid, if you didn't speak Irish, you really wanted to. And you played Gaelic games and you didn't pay any attention to what was happening in the outside world, because really, the - Ireland was the center of the universe. And I don't think that's the case anymore, although, admittedly, it is the center of the universe.

I see people in terms of dialogue and I believe that people are their talk.

It was a sign of growing up, when the dark made no more difference to you than the day.

If you are a writer you're at home, which means you're out of touch. You have to make excuses to get out there and look at how the world is changing.