Irish writing is so strong that it can feel like the country has all been covered, but in fact, there are so many gaps. The small west of Ireland cities and the working classes there have almost never appeared in Irish literature, simply because those communities were never in the way of producing books.

I don't quite operate within the realist mode. I kind of push the stories out towards the cusp of believability - that's the area of interest for me.

In the early nineties, I was a cub reporter on a city newspaper in Limerick, and assigned to the courthouse there. One day, an old detective sergeant came and whispered to me in the press pit. He pointed out a young offender, a teenager who was up for stealing a car or something relatively minor, and said, 'See this kid? He'll kill.'

What greatly annoys me is sometimes you see the short story being described as a training ground for the novel. Kind of like an apprenticeship. And in lots of ways, it's a far harder form.

I've been inspired by many great players in this league, and it's great to re-inspire younger generations and guys coming into this league.

To be honest, I'm like a sponge so my inspiration and influences really can come from anywhere.

My daughter is my greatest inspiration.

I truly find inspiration everywhere. I always tell students, and young people starting out, that the single most important skill, next to listening, is to pay attention. You never know where inspiration will strike.