There is drinking in lots of the songs because there is drinking in life. Drinking stimulates the imagination.

Cram as much pleasure as you can into life, and rail against the pain that you have to suffer as a result.

I drink because I'm thirsty.

I've been a babe magnet for quite a while now.

You can’t hate people unless you love them.

Everyone drinks..........Well, unless they don't.

When I'm writing a song, it gives me more actual pleasure to hear someone else sing it than do it meself.

I'm not so much a rock star, d'ya know what I mean? I play Irish music. There's really no age when you stop playing Irish music. Even if I retired from playing onstage, I'd still be singing in pubs.

I don't believe in the Holy Trinity - but I do believe in the Holy Ghost. The Holy Spook is just a friendly way of saying Holy Ghost.

There's an art to playing live. It's a great feeling. It's indescribable. It's what I love. I wouldn't do it if I didn't enjoy it.

I play Irish popular music, yeah? Calling it folk is like putting it in a box. It's a living tradition, you know?

Life is love. Love is light.

Every story must have such a terrible moment, or it wouldn't be interesting.

If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant.

Scope movies shown on TV letter-boxed are always the big budget movies.

The Lord is my strength, my strong rock, my defense, my deliverer, the horn of my salvation, and my refuge. Amen.

When I am at home, I never watch TV, but when I am abroad in a hotel I take a look at the BBC to find out what's going on.

I read good. I was an English major.

I'm not that good looking. That's why 'Gangnam Style' works. If someone handsome uses that phrase it's just awkward. But if someone like me uses it, it's funny.

Wit loses its point when dipped in malice.

A book is a fragile creature. It suffers the wear of time, it fears rodents, the elements, clumsy hands.