Minister for Arts on a master of letters

I WAS introduced to John B Keane — at a very young age — by my father.

He and John B had similar interests, were Gaelic football fanatics, and shared both a love of politics and a common political persuasion.

Young children don’t often pay too much attention to their parents’ friends. But, even as a boy, I knew that John B was different, and particularly special. He had incredible warmth and wit, but he combined this with a keen eye for people, for language and for detail, and a genuine compassion for all those who crossed his path.