One of Ireland’s best known playwrights
and a ‘giant of world theatre’, Brian Friel has died aged 86 . He passed
away on Friday morning.
President Michael D. Higgins paid tribute to the
writer. “His contribution to what one might call ‘the theatre of memory’
is an outstanding legacy. After Brian Friel’s work no one could offer
amnesia as an alternative to history,” he said.
“The nation and the world have lost one of the giants
of theatre” Taoiseach Enda Kenny said in a statement. “The consummate
Irish storyteller, his work spoke to each of us with humour, emotion and
authenticity,” he said.
Friel was born in Killcogher, near Omagh in 1929 and
moved with his family to Derry when he was 10-years-old. He was educated
in St Columb’s College, Derry – also the alma mater of poet Seamus
Heaney and politician John Hume.
Having become a teacher, Friel moved to Donegal in
1967, three years after his first stage success, Philadelphia, Here I
Come, which was followed by a series of internationally regarded
successes.
Dancing at Lughnasa, probably his most successful play, in 1992 won three Tony Awards.
Friel studied for a career in the priesthood in St
Patrick’s College, Maynooth, However, Friel decided to follow his
father’s footsteps to become a teacher and studied at St Joseph’s
Teacher Training College, Belfast.
He taught at schools around Derry during the 1950s and moved to Co Donegal in 1967.
He won a number of awards for his work including Tony
Award, Evening Standard Award, New York Drama Critic’s Circle and
Olivier Award, and was elected a Saoi of Aosdána in 2006.
He wrote 24 published plays, two short-story
collections and three unpublished and eight published adaptations or
versions, most notably from Ibsen, Chekov and Turgenev.
His plays also included: Lovers, The Gentle Island,
The Freedom of the City, Aristocrats, Faith Healer, Translations, Making
History, Dancing at Lughnasa, Molly Sweeney, Give Me Your Answer Do!
and The Home Place.
“He was, quite simply, a giant, not only of Irish, but of World Theatre,” the Arts Council said in a statement.
Sheila Pratschke, chair of the Arts Council, said
Friel was an inspiration to Irish playwrights, actors, directors and
theatre makers.
“The Irish theatre and arts world generally is devastated by this sad, sad loss,” she said.
Minister for Arts Heather Humphreys expressed great
sadness at his death. “Brian was one of our truly great playwrights and
was a household name not only here at home but on the international
stage as well..... Through his writing he brought Ireland, and
particularly Donegal, to the world.
“The Irish nation and world theatre community is
grieving the loss of an extraordinary and major playwright of our
times,” Abbey Theatre director Fiach Mac Conghail said in a statement.
“I consider Brian Friel to be one of Ireland’s
greatest nation builders who forensically interrogated and challenged
the establishment of the Republic of Ireland. Brian Friel understood the
power and ambiguity of memory in developing a sense of who we are as a
people.”
Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams said he was “humble man,
he was also a national treasure and a truly unique individual. Ní
bheidh a leithéid arís ann.”
Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin said today was “ a
truly sad day for Irish cultural life. We have lost an iconic figure and
tremendous artistic craftsman.”
His wife, Anne Morrison, their three daughters and
their son survive him.He was predeceased by his daughter Patricia who
died in 2012.
Nobel peace laureate John Hume said he was “deeply saddened” at his “dear friend’s” death.
“To put simply, Brian Friel was a genius. But he was a genius who lived, breathed and walked amongst us,” he said.
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