GLEN HANSARD HAS said that people who are ‘serious about their life and work’ need to get out of Ireland to be successful.

The Dublin-born star of hit film Once, who now lives in New York, said that he loved Ireland but the country was not comfortable with success.

In an interview with Irish Central, Hansard said:

I love Ireland. I love it more than f***ing anything else in the world. But if you’re serious about your life and your work you have to bail. You have to get out of there.

He added that Irish people are yet to “find our confidence”.

I think that as a nation we’re very young. I still think we haven’t found our confidence. We’re only 80 years old. We’re an ancient people but colonised for so long that I still feel we don’t know how to own our successes.

Hansard, the former vocalist with indie band The Frames, found international stardom when Once won an Oscar in 2007.

Last week he saw the Broadway production of Once take no fewer than eight Tony awards, an experience he said was “overwhelming”.

Read: ‘Once’ takes eight gongs – including Best Musical – at Tony awards>

More: Full interview on IrishCentral.com>