Irish Central: Recounting the creation of Brendan Behan's death mask
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Brendan Behan
Brendan Francis Aidan Behan was an Irish poet, short story writer, novelist, playwright, and Irish Republican, an activist who wrote in both English and Irish. His widely acknowledged alcohol dependence, despite attempts to treat it, impacted his creative capacities and contributed to health and social problems which curtailed his artistic output and finally his life. He is widely regarded as one…
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culture · Irish poet and writer (1923–1964) · writer · poet · journalist · songwriter · playwright · dramaturge · also Brendan Behan, Brendan Francis Aidan Behan, Francis Behan, Behan
Born 9 February 1923 · Died 20 March 1964 · Q313063
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, a delightful memoir of that most extraordinary family. This was turned into an award-winning one-woman show. His enthusiasm for self-proclamation also led to a series of dramatisations in which he played various parts himself. There was The Begrudgers, set in postwar Dublin, about the literary rivalry between Brendan Behan, Brian O
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An author's first duty is to let down his country.
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2026· 2 entries
A plaque was unveiled in commemorating Behan on Russell Street
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2023· 1 entry
Irish Central: Brendan Behan on the Kerry accent where daily speech is poetry
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2022· 1 entry
The Atlantic: Brendan Behan's Dublin
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2021· 1 entry
Moviefone: Brendan Behan
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1984· 1 entry
“, a delightful memoir of that most extraordinary family. This was turned into an award-winning one-woman show. His enthusiasm for self-proclamation also led to a series of dramatisations in which he played various parts himself. There was The Begrudgers, set in postwar Dublin, about the literary rivalry between Brendan Behan, Brian O”
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1966· 1 entry
To Greek and recorded by Maria Farantouri on the album Ένας όμηρος (The hostage) by Mikis Theodorakis
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1964· 7 entries
Died 1964-03-20.
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“As regards drink, I can only say that in Dublin during the Depression when I was growing up, drunkenness was not regarded as a social disgrace. To get enough to eat was regarded as an achievement. To get drunk was a victory.”
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“An author's first duty is to let down his country.”
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“There's no bad publicity except an obituary.”
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“It's not that the Irish are cynical. It's rather that they have a wonderful lack of respect for everything and everybody.”
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“I respect kindness in human beings first of all, and kindness to animals. I don't respect the law; I have a total irreverence for anything connected with society except that which makes the roads safer, the beer stronger, the food cheaper and the old men and old women warmer in the winter and happier in the summer.”
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“I only drink on two occasions — When I am thirsty and when I'm not.”
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1963· 2 entries
A daughter, Blanaid, was born in 1963, shortly before Behan's death.
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Shortly before Behan's death
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1962· 1 entry
And 1964, were dictated into a tape recorder because he was no longer able to write or type for long enough to be able to finish them
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1961· 2 entries
Was admitted to Sunnyside Private Hospital, an institution for the treatment of alcohol dependence in Toronto, but he once again turned back to alcohol and relapsed back into active alcohol use
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With Valerie Danby-Smith, who was Ernest Hemingway's personal assistant
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1959· 1 entry
On the Album Songs for Swingin' Sellers, Peter Sellers parodies Behan's TV interviews in the sketch 'In a Free State' - an interview with Mr Bedham, an Irish playwright who is "slurred, angry, panting and ready to commit
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1958· 2 entries
His Irish-language play An Giall (The Hostage) opened in the Damer Theatre, Dublin
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Behan's play in the Irish language, An Giall had its debut at Dublin's Damer Theatre
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1954· 2 entries
Behan's first play, The Quare Fellow, was produced in Dublin
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With the appearance of his play The Quare Fellow
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1953· 1 entry
Drawing on his extensive knowledge of criminal activity in Dublin and Paris, he wrote a serial that was later published as The Scarperer
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1947· 1 entry
For trying to break an imprisoned IRA man out of prison in Manchester, Behan effectively left the organisation but remained friends with the IRA's long-term Chief of Staff Cathal Goulding
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1946· 3 entries
Behan's active IRA career was largely over by the age of 23
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Spent some time in the Gaeltacht areas of counties Galway and Kerry, where he started writing poetry in Irish
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Behan moved between homes in Dublin, Kerry and Connemara and also resided in Paris for a time
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1942· 1 entry
During the wartime state of emergency declared by Irish Taoiseach Éamon de Valera, Behan was arrested by the Garda Síochána following a protest against the execution of IRA man George Plant Later that same year Behan was
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1937· 1 entry
The Behan family moved to a newly-built local council housing scheme in Kildare Road, Crumlin, then seen by Dubliners as the countryside – Stephen muttered that the working classes were being sent "To Hell or to Kimmage"
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1931· 1 entry
Also became the youngest contributor to be published in The Irish Press with his poem "Reply of Young Boy to Pro-English verses"
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1923· 1 entry
Born 1923-02-09.
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