by the general love of scandal and detraction in Dublin, one might reasonably imagine they were all to feed themselves through the holes which they had made in the characters of others.

Is it not monstrous that our seducers should be our accusers?

when a swinging sin is to be committed, there is nothing like a gown and a cassock to cover it.

Reputation ... is as often gained without merit as lost without a crime.

I was most incorrigibly devoted to versifying, and all my spouse's wholesome admonitions had no manner of effect on me; in short, I believe this scribbling itch is an incurable disease.

Most of the time when musicians get together, there's always that variance - always someone's a little ahead of the beat, someone's a little behind, you just hope it meshes.

People weren't meaning to be racist, but they didn't know. Action signals change, not intent. So when someone feels like they're not getting a fair shake, you gotta speak on it.

The fact that you are giving money to charity does not mean that you need not try to find out whether that charity is a fraud or not.

If you can have a show that has quite strong morals and cover important themes but be able to put them out to a broad audience, that's an interesting thing.

The old religionist cried out for his god. The new religionist cries out for some god to be his.

A politician wouldn't dream of being allowed to call a columnist the things a columnist is allowed to call a politician

I have a reputation for being an improvisational actor, which is true, but I also know what I'm doing so that if the improvisational strand doesn't work I can go back to what I know's already there.

Being fearless doesn't mean having an absence of fear. It means you press on in spite of fear.

Thought would destroy their paradise.

I think life is all about having a balance, and trying to find equilibrium and not getting things one way or the other.