The Human Behans 10/2/25

Almost every Irish person knows about our own Brendan Behan – the man, his works and the myriad enduring stories about him. Behan was a playwright, poet and author of work that reflected many social issues and Republican themes. Born in Dublin in 1923 into a strong Nationalist family, he joined the youth wing of the IRA at 14, and two years later the IRA itself.  He was arrested by the British police while carrying explosives and imprisoned in the UK.

While in borstal and subsequently in prison, Behan took up his pen and wrote, “The Quare Fellow,” which was staged in 1954 to universal praise. His most famous work, “Borstal Boy,” is a semi-autobiographical account of his time in prison. Behan’s writing is marked with his own Dublin wit and opinions. Unfortunately, his fame and success were paired with burgeoning alcoholism and this ended up killing him at the early age of 41. Brendan Behan is still remembered as one of Ireland’s most prominent literary figures – and all too human.

Our speaker Des Geraghty has had a long association with the extended Behan family and unpicks the various threads woven into the legend that is Brendan Behan, including his brothers, parents, wife, children and large social milieu. Des is the author of “Luke Kelly: a Memoir” among other books, and is a retired trade unionist and politician.