Fiona Shaw

Like a lot of Irish households we read a lot of Irish history. It was almost Soviet, raising the next generation with a mythic view of their history.

My mother adores singing and plays piano. My uncle was a phenomenal pianist. My brother John is a double bassist. I used to play the piano, badly, and cello. My brother Peter played violin.

A lot of Irish people perform. They perform in drawing rooms. They sing songs and they play piano.

If every time you engage in a sex act, you go into a confession box, you will never accept your own sexuality.

I think a lot of songwriters would agree that it's often easier to find inspiration in misery.

Publishers just want you to write the same book over and over again. But why would I want to do that? It would be like putting on a threadbare dressing-gown day after day.