http://www.independent.ie/entertainment/film-cinema/liam-neeson-admits-islam-has-got-into-his-spirit-and-hes-considering-converting-2999064.html anuary 25 2012

HE famously played a cleric in Cal, and was named after a priest, but Liam Neeson has admitted he is now considering converting to Islam.

The Ballymena raised star has told one British newspaper that Islamic prayer "got into his spirit" while filming in Turkish city Istanbul.

He said: "The Call to Prayer happens five times a day and for the first week it drives you crazy, and then it just gets into your spirit and it's the most beautiful, beautiful thing.

"There are 4,000 mosques in the city. Some are just stunning and it really makes me think about becoming a Muslim."

Raised a devout Catholic, the Michael Collins star - who lost his wife Natasha Richardson in a freak skiing accident in 2009 - has said he felt his faith challenged in recent times.

He said: "I was reared a Catholic but I think every day we ask ourselves, not consciously, what are we doing on this planet? What's it all about?

"I'm constantly reading books on God or the absence of God and atheism."

It’s not the first time Neeson has spoken about religion.