Colm Meaney grew up in a social house in Finglas, Dublin, in the 1950s.

He said the country has gone backward and is now unable to deliver homes to those who need them when discussing the housing crisis on The Anton Savage Show today.

The actor of The Snapper and Star Trek fame was on the show to discuss growing up in Dublin, Irish politics and stage acting.

Mr Meaney said housing has been an issue in Ireland for far too long.

“I grew up in a corporation house in Dublin in Finglas. We were delivering houses in the 30s, 40s, 50s and 60s,” he said.

“It’s beyond my comprehension what is wrong that we can’t deliver housing now. We have a problem that has existed for so long that is so basic.”

Politics

Mr Meany said he has always had an interest in political issues.

“In my teens, I became very interested [in politics]. An awful lot of actors are political,” he said.

“They try to use that awful word ‘celebrity’ and any standing they have to affect change, which I think is a good thing.

“I was a member of Sinn Féin in my teen years, long before the troubles even.”

In the end, he decided not to pursue politics.

Meaney began studying acting at age 14 and first found fame after appearing on Star Trek: The Next Generation in 1987.

Colm Meaney in The Snapper, 1993. Credit: AJ Pics / Alamy Stock Photo

He said his role as Dessie Curley in The Snapper was arguably the most recognisable role of his career to date.

“After The Snapper we used to get some real runs around Dublin,” said Mr Meaney.

“We used to get tribes of six- to nine-year-olds running around after you screaming. They used to shout ‘Snip, snip George Burgess' and stuff like that.

“Roddy Doyle was a genius. The dialogue in those films was just beyond what anybody had ever written before.”

Different times

Mr Meaney said film would be looked at differently if it were made today.

“It was a different time, a different meaning, a different perception,” he said.

“The good thing about The Snapper especially though is that it was very ahead of its time in terms of the perception of it.

“It was about a single, teenage pregnant girl whose dad turns out to be very supportive of her. At the time that was unusual, that was progressive.”

Colm Meaney in 'Gangs of London' in 2020 | Image: Sky

The Golden Globe-nominated actor said he also has a lot of love for stage acting.

“Stage acting is where I learned my craft. The first ten or 12 years of my career I did nothing but theatre, so I do love it,” said Mr Meaney.

“I love going to the theatre as well, It’s just hard work. There’s usually been a ten-year gap in when I do plays, I don’t know why.”

When asked about working alongside Denzel Washington in the Broadway play The Iceman Cometh in 2018, he said, "I think he's the best actor of my generation".

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Main Image: Colm Meaney pictured at the Venice Film Festival. 7-9-16.Picture by: SplashNews.com