Munster In 30 Artworks, No 1: John B Keane statue, Listowel, by Séamus Connolly

In the first of our new series on the region's artworks, we look at the story behind the tribute to the Co Kerry town's most famous son

 Mary Keane and Niall Toibin in Listowel in 2007 at the unveiling of the statue of John B Keane. To the right of the statue is artist Séamus Connolly. Picture: Domnick Walsh/Eye Focus 

Next month (May 30) marks the 20th anniversary of the passing, aged 73, of the legendary writer John B Keane. The author of such classic plays as Sive and The Field  was synonymous with the north Kerry town of Listowel, and it was inevitable that he be commemorated there with a statue.

Fittingly, Séamus Connolly’s bronze sculpture of Keane, commissioned by the local Rotary Club and unveiled in the Small Square in Listowel on  June 2, 2007, depicts him carrying his hat in his right hand, and raising his left hand in greeting, a gesture familiar to anyone who met him on his daily perambulations about the town.