# Brendan Behan

> Irish poet, short story writer, novelist, and playwright (1923-1964)

**Wikidata**: [Q313063](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q313063)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brendan_Behan)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/brendan-behan

## Summary

Brendan Behan was born on February 9, 1923 in Dublin[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14] and died there on March 20, 1964[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][14]. He held Irish citizenship throughout his life. His spouse was Beatrice Behan, and he had two brothers, Brian Behan and Dominic Behan[15].Behan worked as a writer, poet, journalist, songwriter, and playwright[16]. He studied at the Dublin Institute of Technology and focused his creative output on drama, literature, and poetry[16]. He died from diabetes.

## Summary

Brendan Behan was an Irish poet, short story writer, novelist, and playwright who lived from 1923 to 1964. He is recognized as a significant literary figure in Ireland, contributing across multiple genres including poetry, fiction, drama, and songwriting. His work reflects the cultural and social landscape of Ireland during the mid-20th century.

## Biography

- **Born**: 1923
- **Died**: 1964
- **Nationality**: Ireland
- **Education**: No specific degrees or institutions detailed in source material
- **Known for**: Literary works spanning poetry, short stories, novels, and plays; contributions to Irish literature and drama
- **Employer(s)**: Dublin Institute of Technology (affiliated institution)
- **Field(s)**: Poetry, short story writing, novel writing, playwright, journalism, songwriting

## Contributions

Based on the available source material, specific publications, plays, or projects are not enumerated. Brendan Behan's primary contributions lie in his multifaceted literary career as a writer and poet in Ireland. His occupational roles included:

- Writing poetry
- Authoring short stories
- Writing novels
- Creating plays for theatrical performance
- Working as a journalist
- Writing songs as a songwriter

## FAQs

**What was Brendan Behan's primary occupation?**
Brendan Behan was primarily a writer, poet, and playwright, known for his contributions to Irish literature across multiple genres including poetry, short fiction, novels, and drama.

**What nationality was Brendan Behan?**
Brendan Behan was Irish, affiliated with Ireland as his country of origin and creative output.

**What genres did Brendan Behan work in?**
Behan worked across several literary genres: poetry, short story writing, novel writing, playwriting, journalism, and songwriting.

**Was Brendan Behan associated with any educational institution?**
Brendan Behan was affiliated with the Dublin Institute of Technology, a higher education institution in Ireland.

**Who is connected to Brendan Behan in the literary world?**
Shane MacGowan, the Anglo-Irish singer-songwriter (1957–2023), is listed as a key person connected to Brendan Behan, suggesting some influence or connection in the Irish music and literary scenes.

## Why They Matter

Brendan Behan matters as a representative of mid-20th century Irish literary culture. His versatility across multiple writing forms—poetry, fiction, drama, and songwriting—demonstrates the breadth of literary talent in Ireland during his era. As an Irish writer working from 1923 to 1964, he contributed to the development of Irish literature during a period of significant cultural and political change in Ireland. His recognition as both a poet and playwright places him among the multifaceted literary artists who shaped Irish cultural identity. The connection to Shane MacGowan suggests Behan's influence may have extended into subsequent generations of Irish artistic expression, particularly in the intersection of literature and music.

## Notable For

- Lifespan: 1923-1964
- Multiple literary roles: poet, short story writer, novelist, and playwright
- Irish national identity and cultural representation
- Affiliation with Dublin Institute of Technology
- Connection to later Irish artists including Shane MacGowan
- Aliases: Brendan Francis Aidan Behan, Francis Behan

## Body

### Identity and Background

Brendan Behan was an Irish literary figure born in 1923 and passing away in 1964. His full name appears as Brendan Francis Aidan Behan, with Francis Behan also listed as an alias. He held Irish nationality and was deeply embedded in Ireland's cultural and literary landscape during the mid-20th century.

### Professional Roles

Behan's career encompassed multiple literary and creative domains. His primary occupations included being a poet, short story writer, novelist, and playwright—demonstrating significant versatility across literary forms. Additionally, he worked as a journalist and songwriter, further expanding his creative reach. These multiple roles positioned him as a multifaceted contributor to Irish cultural life, engaging with literature both as a written art form and as material for musical expression.

### Institutional Affiliation

Behan maintained an affiliation with the Dublin Institute of Technology, a higher education institution in Ireland. The institution itself has a complex institutional history, with inception dates listed as 1937 and 1992, reflecting organizational developments in Irish higher education. This connection suggests Behan's engagement with academic or educational circles in Ireland, though the specific nature of the affiliation is not detailed in the source material.

### Influence and Connections

The source material indicates a connection between Brendan Behan and Shane MacGowan, the Anglo-Irish singer-songwriter who lived from 1957 to 2023. MacGowan is noted as having multiple occupations including songwriting, with significant contributions to Irish music. This connection suggests Behan's literary influence may have extended beyond traditional literary circles into the realm of Irish musical tradition, potentially inspiring or influencing subsequent generations of Irish artists who blended literary and musical forms.

### Literary Significance

Behan's recognition as both a poet and playwright places him within Ireland's rich tradition of literary artists who engaged with drama and poetry as complementary forms. His work contributed to the broader category of literature as a written art form, with poetry representing a specific literary style characterized by expressiveness of words. The dramatic works he created contributed to the tradition of formal literature intended for performance, a category encompassing plays written as character lines divided into acts and scenes.

### Legacy Indicators

The source material indicates Behan's presence in knowledge bases with a sitelink count of 49, suggesting moderate digital presence and reference value. His wikidata description as an "Irish poet, short story writer, novelist, and playwright (1923-1964)" encapsulates his multifaceted literary identity. The various occupational tags associated with him—writer, poet, journalist, songwriter, and playwright—reflect the diverse ways he engaged with creative and communicative arts during his lifetime in Ireland.

## References

1. Integrated Authority File
2. Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1969–1978)
3. BnF authorities
4. Czech National Authority Database
5. International Standard Name Identifier
6. MusicBrainz
7. Encyclopædia Britannica Online
8. SNAC
9. Internet Broadway Database
10. Enciclopédia Itaú Cultural
11. Find a Grave
12. Discogs
13. Brockhaus Enzyklopädie
14. Gran Enciclopèdia Catalana
15. Proleksis Encyclopedia
16. Dictionary of Irish Biography
17. Munzinger Personen
18. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
19. Virtual International Authority File
20. [Source](https://www.tonyawards.com/nominees/year/1961/category/any/show/any/)
21. An Bunachar Náisiúnta Beathaisnéisí Gaeilge
22. The Walton's Guide to Irish Music
23. Carnegie Hall linked open data
24. The Movie Database
25. LIBRIS. 2012
26. National Library of Israel Names and Subjects Authority File
27. Virtual Study of Theatre Institute
28. performing-arts.ch