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Brian Friel

Author profile

born

February 09, 1929 in Omagh, Ireland

gender

male

genre

Literature & Fiction

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Brian Friel is a playwright and, more recently, director of his own works from Ireland who now resides in County Donegal.

Friel was born in Omagh County Tyrone, the son of Patrick "Paddy" Friel, a primary school teacher and later a borough councillor in Derry, and Mary McLoone, postmistress of Glenties, County Donegal (Ulf Dantanus provides the most detail regarding Friel's parents and grandparents, see Books below). He received his education at St. Columb's College in Derry and the seminary at St. Patrick's College, Maynooth (1945-48) from which he received his B.A., then he received his teacher's training at St. Mary's Training College in Belfast, 1949-50. He married Anne Morrison in 1954, with whom he has four daughters and one son; they...more Brian Friel is a playwright and, more recently, director of his own works from Ireland who now resides in County Donegal.

Friel was born in Omagh County Tyrone, the son of Patrick "Paddy" Friel, a primary school teacher and later a borough councillor in Derry, and Mary McLoone, postmistress of Glenties, County Donegal (Ulf Dantanus provides the most detail regarding Friel's parents and grandparents, see Books below). He received his education at St. Columb's College in Derry and the seminary at St. Patrick's College, Maynooth (1945-48) from which he received his B.A., then he received his teacher's training at St. Mary's Training College in Belfast, 1949-50. He married Anne Morrison in 1954, with whom he has four daughters and one son; they remain married. From 1950 until 1960, he worked as a Maths teacher in the Derry primary and intermediate school system, until taking leave in 1960 to live off his savings and pursue a career as writer. In 1966, the Friels moved from 13 Malborough Street, Derry to Muff, County Donegal, eventually settling outside Greencastle, County Donegal.

He was appointed to the Irish Senate in 1987 and served through 1989. In 1989, BBC Radio launched a "Brian Friel Season", a series devoted a six-play season to his work, the first living playwright to be so distinguished. In 1999 (April-August), Friel's 70th birthday was celebrated in Dublin with the Friel Festival during which ten of his plays were staged or presented as dramatic readings throughout Dublin; in conjunction with the festival were a conference, National Library exhibition, film screenings, outreach programs, pre-show talks, and the launching of a special issue of The Irish University Review devoted to the playwright; in 1999, he also received a lifetime achievement award from the Irish Times.

On 22 January 2006 Friel was presented with a gold Torc by President Mary McAleese in recognition of the fact that the members of Aosdána have elected him a Saoi. Only five members of Aosdána can hold this honour at any one time and Friel joined fellow Saoithe Louis leBrocquy, Benedict Kiely (d. 2007), Seamus Heaney and Anthony Cronin. On acceptance of the gold Torc, Friel quipped, "I knew that being made a Saoi, really getting this award, is extreme unction; it is a final anointment--Aosdana's last rites."

In November 2008, Queen's University of Belfast announced its intention to build a new theatre complex and research center to be named The Brian Friel Theatre and Centre for Theatre Research.

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Books by Brian Friel

Average rating: 3.76 · 2,468 ratings · 135 reviews · 43 distinct works

	Translations 3.86 avg rating — 1,018 ratings — published 1981 — 6 editions	My rating:
	Dancing at Lughnasa 3.61 avg rating — 866 ratings — published 1990 — 3 editions	My rating:
	Philadelphia, Here I Come! 3.77 avg rating — 150 ratings — published 1964 — 3 editions	My rating:
	Faith Healer 4.07 avg rating — 69 ratings — published 1980 — 3 editions	My rating:
	Molly Sweeney 3.84 avg rating — 58 ratings — published 1994 — 5 editions	My rating:
	Making History 2.96 avg rating — 57 ratings — published 1989 — 3 editions	My rating:
	The Freedom of the City 3.90 avg rating — 39 ratings — published 1990 — 3 editions	My rating:
	Selected Plays 4.20 avg rating — 35 ratings — published 1986 — 4 editions	My rating:
	Lovers: Winners, Losers 4.00 avg rating — 34 ratings — published 1968 — 2 editions	My rating:
	Plays 2: Dancing at Lughnasa / Fathers and Sons / Making History / Wonderful Tennessee / Molly Sweeney by Brian Friel, Christopher Murray (Introduction) 4.14 avg rating — 22 ratings — published 1999	My rating:

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Quotes by Brian Friel

“It is not the literal past, the 'facts' of history, that shape us, but images of the past embodied in language.”
― Brian Friel

tags: friel , translations

6 people liked it

“Even if I did speak Irish, I’d always be considered an outsider here, wouldn’t I? I may learn the password but the language of the tribe will always elude me, won’t it? The private core will always be ...hermetic, won’t it?”
― Brian Friel, Translations

2 people liked it

“To remember everything is a form of madness.”
― Brian Friel, Translations

1 person liked it

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