John B. Keane was born in 1928 in Listowel, County Kerry and there spent his literary career, running a pub which provided him with inspiration for his characters and ideas. His first play, Sive, was presented by the Listowel Drama Group and won the All-Ireland Drama Festival in 1959. It was followed by another success, Sharon’s Grave, in 1960. The Field (1965) and Big Maggie (1969), are widely regarded as classics of the modern Irish stage and jewels in a crown which includes such popular hits as Many Young Men of Twenty, The Man from Clare, Moll, The Chastitute and The Year of the Hiker. His large canon of plays have been seen abroad in cities as far afield as Moscow and Los Angeles.
In 2008, Tarrant was commissioned by Minister Jimmy Deenihan to design a piece in commemoration of the playwright John B. Keane, who died in 2002.
The piece, cut from local limestone, was unveiled during Listowel Writers Week and stands in the Garden of Europe in the Town Park in Listowel. The playwright’s iconic profile adorns the front cover of this limestone book
John B. Keane Sculpture lit up at Listowel International Arts Festival
Featured at the Féile an tSolais – Listowel International Arts Festival Padraig’s John B. Keane sculpture is lit up in the Forest of Lights!
Photo credit and a big thank you to Ann Foley (@foleyfurniture) for posting this on Twitter.
