Brendan Behan (February 9, 1923 – March 20, 1964) was an Irish poet, short story writer, novelist, playwright, and Irish Republican. Behan was born in Dublin into a staunchly Irish republican family, becoming a member of the IRA's youth organization Fianna Éireann at the age of fourteen. When he was sixteen, Behan joined the IRA, which led to his serving time in a youth prison in the United Kingdom and imprisonment in Ireland. During this time, he studied the Irish language study and became a fluent speaker. Behan was released from prison as part of a general amnesty given by the Fianna Fáil government in 1946, and moved between homes in Ireland and Paris.

In 1954, Behan's first play, The Quare Fellow, was produced in Dublin. In 1958, Behan's play in the Irish language, An Giall, had its debut at Dublin's Damer Theatre. Later, The Hostage, Behan's English-language adaptation of An Giall, met with great success internationally. Behan's autobiographical novel, Borstal Boy, was published the same year and became a worldwide best-seller.

In February 1955, Behan married horticultural illustrator for The Irish Times, Beatrice Ffrench Salkeld, daughter of the painter Cecil Ffrench Salkeld. A daughter, Blanaid, was born in 1963, shortly before Behan's death. His widely acknowledged alcohol dependence, despite attempts to treat it, impacted his creative capacities and contributed to health and social problems. Behan died on March 20, 1964 after collapsing at the Harbour Lights Bar in Echlin Street, Dublin. At his funeral, he was given a full IRA guard of honor, which escorted his coffin.

Sources:

"Brendan Behan Dies in Dublin". The New York Times, March 21, 1964. https://www.nytimes.com/1964/03/21/brendan-behan-dies-in-dublin.html.

"Brendan Behan". Encyclopaedia Britannica (accessed July 2026). https://www.britannica.com/biography/Brendan-Behan.