Sheamus Quotes

The Irishman in English literature may be said to have been born with an apology in his mouth.

Many people die of thirst but the Irish are born with one.

Irish as a Paddy's pig.

I'm just a loud Irish guy.

In Serbia a lot of people hate me because they want to westernize, not understanding that the western world is bipolar, with very good things and very bad things.

I'm Irish, yeah, but I don't need to get up on a soapbox about it.

The French have the reputation of being arrogant. I don't think it's arrogance but a certain authenticity.

Everyone has seen photographs of Mexicans wearing those big sombreros. When you come to Mexico, the astonishing thing is, nobody wears these hats at all.

People think that because I write about India I must be trying to portray India in a way.

I feel like Africans are too often portrayed as people on the National Geographic channel: the image is of an African man in a loincloth chasing a gazelle. It's not intentionally racist; I wouldn't call it racist at all. It's a lack of understanding another culture.

I often find myself unsatisfied with books 'about' Indians because they are written from the viewpoint of non-Indians.

It's very easy for Australians living in big cities to either romanticise or demonise the situation in Aboriginal places - to kind of look at things through the 'noble innocents' prism or through the 'chronically dysfunctional' prism, and I suspect that is so often the case.

Some environmentalists have had the feeling that Indians are not good stewards. I've always been critical of that.

Ireland is a series of stories that have been told to us, starting with the Irish Celtic national revival. I never believed in 'Old Ireland.' It has been made all of kitsch by the diaspora, looking back and deciding what Ireland is. Yes, it is green. Yes, it is friendly. I can't think of anything else for definite.

There's a real mischievousness about Irishmen, don't you find?

Sometimes, there's not an honest engagement of Ireland in Hollywood movies.

Blacks don't square dance. If you see a black person square dancing, it is definitely the seventh sign.

In Malaysia, where Western culture was extremely influential, I'd grown up listening to Elvis and the Beatles and watching American movies. People wanted to be like Americans. In contrast, when I got here, I saw prosperous middle-class American college students wanting to somehow join the Third World.

Watching Madonna puffing on a cigar on David Letterman's show, I thought, 'Gosh, she's feeling so India! All she needs is long, black hair and a trip to the Caribbean to burn her skin up.'

We’re [Native Americans] portrayed as either the noble savage or the ignoble savage. In most people’s minds, we only exist in the 19th century.

The Irish hate our order, our civilization, our enterprising industry, our pure religion. This wild, reckless, indolent, uncertain, and superstitious race have no sympathy with the English character …. Their history describes an unbroken circle of bigotry and blood.

I just think you people (African Americans) would be happier back in Africa where you came from.

Yes, as an oppressed people, American Indians have this epic burden, but first and foremost, they're human: sometimes a mess, sometimes funny or sad, at times very wise, and other times not wise at all - a lot like me.

I am not defined as a black writer in the Caribbean, but as soon as I go to America or the U.K., my place becomes black theatre. It's a little ridiculous.

Once, I tried to channel my inner Pocahontas and wore a lot of Navajo prints, a lot of beige, fringe, and suede... I wish I hadn't done that.