Genevieve O'Reilly Quotes

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

You can listen to carpenters talk for hours in Ireland. The people have a relationship to words that I don't think you will run into anyplace in the world.

My Dublin wasn't the Dublin of sing-songs, traditional music, sense of history and place and community.

For me, a story begins with music: I feel the rhythm, the cadence, the pulse of the characters and their voices and the setting. Because I had just finished writing a book called 'Black Potatoes: The Story of the Great Irish Famine,' I was already filled with the music of the lives and culture of the Irish people, so I thought, why not use it?

Irish people are educated not only about artistry but local history.

My dad's Irish music was such a huge influence.

Every St. Patrick's Day every Irishman goes out to find another Irishman to make a speech to.

Growing up, I was brought up around Irish music, Irish traditions.

When I was growing up, for example, everybody on our street was Irish. And all the girls did Irish step dancing. It was pre-Lord of the Dance - it was before anybody knew what gillys were - but we did, and there was such pride among the members of my family and people I grew up with.

My kids are Irish; I want them to grow up playing Gaelic football and learning Irish.

I feel more and more the time wasted that is not spent in Ireland.

I'm just a loud Irish guy.

I'm proud of my Irish heritage and culture and this show will feature a lot of Irish dancing.

My father was totally Irish, and so I went to Ireland once. I found it to be very much like New York, for it was a beautiful country, and both the women and men were good-looking.

My soul is still Irish.

I'm Irish as hell: Kelly on one side, Shanley on the other. My father had been born on a farm in the Irish Midlands. He and his brothers had been shepherds there, cattle and sheep, back in the early 1920s. I grew up surrounded by brogues and Irish music, but stayed away from the old country till I was over 40. I just couldn't own being Irish.

I'd never had any problem finding inspiration; Ireland was always just there, you know? All this richness of culture was there to tap into.

Yes... I miss that everyone in Ireland tries to knock some humour out of every situation. I don't think I appreciated that. It's unique to Ireland.

I'm just a true Irish boy at heart.

I can't think of anything you might say about Irish people that is absolutely true.

There's something about the Irish that is remarkable.

Show me an Irishman who can't tell a story - I don't think they exist.

I don't think Ireland has ever had a genius for the novel. Of course, there were plenty of Irish novels, but I don't think that was ever the natural means of expression for the Irish.

I spent a lot of time growing up in Ireland in Donegal.

In general, the Arab world is an artistic hub that has such a variety, whether it be music, film, poetry.