Writer, born in Dublin, Ireland. He left school at 14 to become a house painter, and soon joined the IRA. In 1939 he was sentenced to three years in Borstal for attempting to blow up a Liverpool shipyard, and soon after his release given 14 years by a Dublin military court for the attempted murder of two detectives, but was released by a general amnesty (1946). He was in prison again in Manchester (1947), and deported in 1952. His first play, The Quare Fellow (1956; filmed 1962), starkly dramatised the prison atmosphere prior to a hanging. His exuberant Irish wit, spiced with balladry and bawdry and a talent for fantastic caricature, found rein in his next play The Hostage (1958, first produced in Irish as An Giall, 1957). It is also evident in the autobiographical novel, Borstal Boy (1958), and in Brendan Behan's Island (1963).
Brendan Francis Behan (Irish: Breandán Ó Beacháin) (February 9, 1923 - March 20, 1964) was an Irish poet, short story writer, novelist and playwright who wrote in both Irish and English.
Behan was one of the most successful Irish dramatists of the 20th century.
Biography
Early life
Behan was born in inner-city Dublin into an educated working class family. The house the Behan family lived in belonged to his grandmother, who owned a number of properties in the area. Behan's uncle, Peadar Kearney, wrote the Irish National Anthem. His brother, Dominic Behan, was also a renowned songwriter, whilst another sibling, Brian Behan, was a prominent radical political activist and public speaker, actor, author and playwright. His mother, Kathleen Behan, was politically active throughout her life and was a personal friend of Michael Collins. At the age of thirteen, Behan left school to follow his father's footsteps in the housepainting business. Here, Behan became a member of Fianna Éireann, the youth organization of the IRA and published his first poems and prose in the organization's magazine Fianna: the Voice of Young Ireland. In 1939, Behan was arrested in Liverpool in possession of explosives for use in the IRA S-Plan bombing campaign. In 1942, during the timeframe leading to the IRA's Northern Campaign Behan was tried for the attempted murder of two detectives in Dublin and sentenced to fourteen years. Behan was sent to Mountjoy Prison and later to the Curragh Internment Camp.
Behan, the writer
Behan's prison experiences were central to his future writing career.
In 1957, his Irish language play, An Giall (The Hostage) opened in the Damer Theatre, and his autobiographical novel Borstal Boy was published. Behan was now established as one of the leading Irish writers of his generation.
Behan was perhaps the most famous Irish writer of his time, and was once hired to write an advertising slogan for Guinness. After a month the company asked Behan what he had come up with; Behan had already managed to drink all of the beer they had given him and produced the slogan Guinness Makes You Drunk.
Decline and death
Behan found fame difficult to deal with. Ennis also created a Behan analogue in Hellblazer. Behan is the subject of the chorus of "Streams Of Whiskey", song by the Pogues, "Last night as I slept, I dreamt I met with Behan, I shook him by the hand, and we passed the time of day, when questioned on his thoughts, on the sum of his life's philosophy, he had these very clear and simple words to say; Behan is also mentioned in the Pogues song "Thousands are Sailing" with reference to the experience of Irish immigrants in New York: "And in Brendan Behan's footsteps, I danced up and down the street". In the song "All Things considered" by The Mighty Mighty Bosstones" Behan is also mentioned. In the Thin Lizzy song "Black Rose" in the lyric "Ah sure, Brendan where have you Behan?" In The Mountain Goats song "Commandante", he is mentioned with the lyric, "I'm gonna drink more whiskey than Brendan Behan".
In "Thinking Voyager II Type Things", Bob Geldof sings, "So rise up Brendan Behan / And like a drunken Lazarus / Let's traipse the high bronze of the evening sky / Like crack-crazed kings"
Shortly after Behan's death a young student, Fred Geis, wrote the song "Lament for Brendan Behan," and passed it on to the Clancy Brothers, who sang it on their album "Recorded Live in Ireland!"
Brendan Behan is also mentioned in the Damien Dempsey song "Jar Song" taken from the seize the day album. The lyrics are "Brendan Behan was a friend of mine,"
Belfast songwriter,Seamus Robinson,wrote "BRENDAN," which was released by The Freemen in 1976.
Behan's prisoner song "The Auld Triangle," from his play "The Quare Fella" (this term being prison slang for a prisoner condemned to be hung), has been recorded by groups including the Pogues. See the Discussion Page on the entry, "Royal Canal of Ireland (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Royal_Canal_of_Ireland )
Works
Plays
The Quare Fellow (1954) An Giall (1958), The Hostage (1958) Behan wrote the play in Irish, and then translated it himself into English Richard's Cork Leg Moving Out A Garden Party The Big HouseBooks
Borstal Boy (1958) Brendan Behan's Island (1962) Hold Your Hour and Have Another (1963) Brendan Behan's New York (1964) Confessions of an Irish Rebel (1965)Songs
The Auld Triangle The Captain and the KingsBiographies
"My Brother Brendan" by Dominic Behan
"Brendan Behan" by Ulick O'Connor
"The Brothers Behan" by Brian Behan
User Comments Add a comment…