“I like reading in a pub rather than a library or study, as it's generally much easier to get a drink.”

“I reckon if I can't spend the day sleeping, the next best thing is to spend it reading and drinking.”

“Just remember, it's an easy place to be at home in, Ireland. I think the people are very skilled at relating. I notice, watching the different nationalities on the mountain, the fluidity of interaction the Irish people have with the visitors, and with each other. It's a skill that's less developed in other nationalities, and it's so instinctive it doesn't even look like a skill.”

“But once you cross the Shannon - even though geographically you have only come a short distance - different rules of time apply, and most people still understand the crucial secret of human happiness: that it's better to do a few things slowly, than a lot of things fast.”

“If you've had the right kind of education, it's amazing how many things you can find to feel guilty about.”

“There are 10,000 books in my library, and it will keep growing until I die. This has exasperated my daughters, amused my friends and baffled my accountant. If I had not picked up this habit in the library long ago, I would have more money in the bank today; I would not be richer.”

“Education is what you get when you read the fine print. Experience is what you get if you don't.”