John B. Keane

John Brendan Keane (July 21 1928 – May 30 2002) was an Irish playwright, novelist and essayist from Listowel, County Kerry.

Life

A son of William B. Keane and Hannah Purtill, he was educated at Listowel National School and then at St. Michael's College, Listowel. He worked as a chemist's assistant for A.H Jones - a chemist who dabbled in buying antiques. Keane had various jobs in the UK between 1951 and 1955, and was a pub owner in Listowel from 1955.

He married Mary O'Connor and had four children. He was an Honorary Life Member of the Royal Dublin Society from 1991, served as president of Irish PEN and was a founder member of the Society of Irish Playwrights and a member of Aosdána. He remained a prominent member of the Fine Gael party throughout his life, never being shy of political debate.

In his life John B. Keane published 46 works. He died at his home in Listowel - a popular public house - aged 73 from prostate cancer. In 2007 a lifesize bronze statue by Clare sculptor Seamus Connolly to Keane was erected in his beloved Listowel during Writers week.

His nephew is the award winning investigative journalist Fergal Keane. His son John is a journalist with the Kilkenny People.

Works

Plays
*"Sive" (first staged 1959)
*"Sharon's Grave" (1960)
*"The Highest House on the Mountain" (1961)
*"No More in Dust" (1961)
*"Many Young Men of Twenty" (1961)
*"Hut 42" (1962)
*"The Man from Clare" (1962)
*"The Year of the Hiker"
*"The Field" (1965)
*"Seven Irish Plays" (1967)
*"Big Maggie" (1969)
*"Moll"
*"The Crazy Wall"
*"The Buds of Ballybunion"
*"The Chastitute"
*"Faoiseamh"
*"The Matchmaker"
*"The Good Thing"

Novels
*"The Bodhrán Makers" (1986)
*"Durango"
*"The Contractors"
*"A High Meadow"
*"Letters of a successful T.D" Essays
*"Love Bites"
*"Owl Sandwiches"

References

* [http://www.irishwriters-online.com/johnbkeane.html Irish Writers Online: John B Keane]
* [http://www.doollee.com/PlaywrightsK/KeaneJohnB.htm Play Information]
* [http://www.culturevulture.net/Theater2/Matchmaker.htm About the Matchmaker]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/arts/2016252.stm BBC Report of his death]
* [http://www.rte.ie/arts/2002/0530/keanejb.html RTE Report of his death]