| Born on 9th February 1923 in Dublin, Brendan Francis Behan was a story writer, playwright, novelist and poet. He wrote in English as well as Irish. He was also a steadfast Irish Republican and a one-time member of the Irish Republican Army.
Brendan Behan’s father, who was a painter by profession, would read classics to his children before they went to bed. His mother Kathleen whose interests were more towards politics, also encouraged the children in their literary education and would take them on trips around the city. His family moved to Crumlin in 1937 where Brendan Behan joined a youth movement of the IRA and his early prose and poems were published in Fianna, the magazine of this organization. He became the youngest writer for publications in the Irish Press.
It was at this time that he took part in a mission to blow up the Liverpool docks and was caught with explosives on him and put into a reform institute for three years. He was later put into prison for fourteen years for an attempt to murder two detectives. He put down his experiences in “Confessions of an Irish Rebel”.
Brendan Behan’s going to prison was instrumental for his future as a writer. His initial play The Landlady and other short stories were written while he was in Mount Joy. While imprisoned he learned Irish and later wrote poetry in this language.
Brendan Behan died in Meath Hospital in Dublin on 20th March 1964 when he was only forty one years old. He was one of the most celebrated Irish playwrights of the 20th century. |
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