Tenth anniversary of the passing of a national treasure
His plays, novels, poems, songs and essays are among the best-known and the best-loved in Irish literature, but it is unlikely that anyone will ever found a summer school to honour his achievements. Put simply, such a move would be superfluous: John B passed away at his home in Listowel on the eve of Writers’ Week, an event he helped found and at which he will always be a presence. He will be remembered tomorrow and Friday with two literary walking tours, around the town, that will take in his birthplace and the schools he attended, as well as the sculpture by Pádraig Tarrant erected in his memory in the Garden of Europe.
Today and tomorrow, in these pages, we celebrate the life and work of John B Keane with tributes from his widow Mary, his son Conor, Arts Minister Jimmy Deenihan, author Joseph O’Connor, the director of the Abbey Theatre, Fiach Mac Conghail, the director of Druid theatre company, Garry Hynes, broadcaster Gay Byrne and many others. We include, also, extracts from John B’s writings, including his poem The Street, composed when he was just 17.
