Pride and passion

Sebastian Barry ’s work hasn’t always impressed the critics, but that is never going to stop him writing.

‘It’s almost a given that, if you have incredibly wonderful experiences as a writer, you’re also going to have the opposite,” sighs Sebastian Barry, half-way through this interview.

For the 52-year-old Dublin-born playwright and novelist, the past six years have represented a veritable rollercoaster of highs and lows.

Today, Barry sits in the bar of ...