There are plenty of roles for older women. They just don't happen to be the roles that normally carry the picture. For older men, that's not so, ... [This movie] may change that, and I hope it does. But you know, it's merely a reflection of what society is ... Hollywood merely reflects the ageism in society.

I think Irish women are strong as horses, incredibly loyal and for the most part, funny, witty, bright and optimistic in the face of devastating reality.

People think we are such great talkers, but there is so much silence in Ireland about certain issues.

The image of Ireland is projected as a male image in the acting world, similar to the way that the word of Ireland is male dominated.

When I first came to Hollywood, I could not break into movies.

I'm Irish and always will be, but America has taught me so much. Maybe it's here in the U.S. that we find a healing, for in the broader melting pot we get to look at some of these self-destructive attributes that we bring to bear upon our own quarrels and begin to solve them in ways other than just splitting apart.