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‘Damages’ star talks Ireland, career and hit film ‘Knowing’

MEGHAN SWEENEY

IrishCentral.com Staff Writer

Published Wednesday, April 15, 2009, 9:52 AM

Updated Thursday, July 23, 2009, 5:13 PM

Read more: Rose Byrne

Australian actress Rose Byrne

Photo by Steve Parsons/PA

Australian actress Rose Byrne is best known for her Golden Globe-nominated role in the hit FX legal drama “Damages” as Glenn Close’s character’s protegee.

Now the actress, who is of Irish and Scottish descent, appears for the first time as the leading lady in a major blockbuster, the Nicholas Cage box office smash “Knowing.”

Byrne recently visited Dublin to promote the film, and sat down with Movies.ie

Byrne is no stranger to Ireland. She praised the country’s beauty, saying: “I've been here once before, I drove around the country for ten days with my partner about five years ago. We went to Limerick, Galway, Cork, Kerry and Dublin. It was beautiful. We had the most terrific weather at the ring of Kerry, it was like we were at the Greek islands or something.”

But this latest trip to Ireland was more for business than pleasure. Byrne made the rounds in Dublin, endorsing her new movie and discussing her career.

“Knowing” is directed by Alex Proyas, director of cult favorite “The Crow.” The intense film is a combination of action and sci-fi, featuring large-scale disasters, aliens and fortune telling.

This crazy mix of genres didn’t intimidate Byrne. “Alex Pryos deals with a lot of science fiction and super natural. He’s made movies like ‘The Crow’ and ‘IRobot,’ so I knew if anyone could pull it off then he could.”

Byrne explains that she wasn’t too involved with the sci-fi paranormal moments in the film. “I wasn’t involved in a lot of the supernatural stuff, so when I saw the film I was so impressed with how he set the tone that it’s already pretty eerie before the final moments. When the ending comes along it’s radical, but the tone is already set for him to pull it off.”

Proyas is a fellow Australian, which a factor in Byrne’s attraction to the project, as was the unusual depth in her character, Diana, who’s not your typical action movie ingénue.

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As the Irish people have a genuine sense of fun, Irish entertainment can be found in every town, village, city and county. One of the most popular forms is the festival, which is used to celebrate all sorts of occasions &emdash; everything from literary pursuits to a love of oysters. Here are a few highlights of entertainment in Ireland throughout the year: Londonderry boasts the biggest Halloween Festival in the world with around 30,000 celebrating the ancient Celtic New Year every October. Grab a dodgy mask and join the party! / The Belfast Festival at Queen’s is Ireland’s biggest International Festival and boasts an eclectic mix of music, talks, comedy, exhibitions and film. / The Galway Races, the Rose of Tralee Festival, Puck Fair in Killorglin, and the Oul’ Lammas Fair in Ballycastle are world famous and offer a great chance to enjoy Irish entertainment, life and laughs with the locals. / Food festivals are now a big draw in Ireland with local produce scoring high among international foodies. Head to the famous oyster festivals in Clarenbridge in Galway, or Hillsborough, County Down. / Tune in to a spot of music with the Open House Festival in Belfast, the Waterford International Festival of Light Opera, or the Feile an Phobail in west Belfast. Or grab a pint and tap your feet to some cool tunes at the Guinness Cork Jazz Festival. / If you prefer your festivals small and intimate, try the harp festivals in Roscommon or the rough and ready horse and pony fairs from Cavan to Cork. Even today, the horses are priced in guineas, and bought and sold with a spit in the hand. / At the other end of the scale of entertainment in Ireland lies the Wexford Opera Festival with full-scale opera productions, concerts, recitals, talks, cabaret, fireworks, and, of course, parties. / For something a little different, try the Magnus Barelegs Festival in Downpatrick offering a slice of Viking life, or the Eagle Wing Festival in Groomsport, County Down, which celebrates Ireland’s cultural links with America. / Theater fans should head to Dublin for both the Dublin Theatre Festival and the excellent Dublin Fringe Festival, with wildly exciting performances taking place in fabulous venues. / Around March 17, the country turns a shade of green for a host of St Patrick’s Festivals. All over the country, from the Saint’s hallowed burial place in Downpatrick to the more carnival atmosphere of parades and exceptional fireworks in Dublin and Belfast. / Literary lovers should head to Dublin in June for the intriguing Bloomsday Festival, where fans of Joyce’s Gargantuan Ulysses dress up in traditional gear and scoff old Dublin food like “nutty gizzards” and “urine-soaked kidneys”. Alternatively, seek out the delights of the Aspects Literature Festival in Bangor in September, an annual celebration of Irish literature with lectures, discussion and music. But festivals are just one aspect of Irish entertainment—let's not forget about music! From impromptu sessions in your local bar to the thrilling beat of U2, Ireland has always been home to the best sounds of music. Ireland’s massive successes in the Irish entertainment world include some bands and artists you may have heard of…U2, The Corrs, Enya, Westlife, Snow Patrol, Ash, David Holmes, Van Morrison and The Thrills, to name just a few. Unique and distinctive, the harp holds a special place in Irish entertainment and has come to symbolize the harmony of people and music in Ireland. It’s the earliest musical instrument mentioned in Irish literature and has been used as an official emblem for Ireland since medieval times. Today, it’s on Irish passports and stamps. But there's more: Fleadhs, or festivals, are a major part of Irish entertainment as well as cultural life, and impromptu trad sessions have become the stuff of legend at West Belfast’s Feile an Phobail, the Galway Racing Festival or Kerry’s Puck Fair. Rock and dance music festivals are also big news with the Oxegen Festival, Tennents Vital Belfast and the Electric Picnic held in summer.

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‘Damages’ star talks Ireland, career and hit film ‘Knowing’

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