Benedict Kiely

Kiely visited Omagh in 2001. This was marked by the unveiling of a plaque outside his childhood home on Gallows Hill by Omagh's Plain Speaking Community Arts group. In an interview at that time, when asked about censorship, he remarked with a typical quip: "If you weren't banned, it meant you were no bloody good". In September every year in Omagh, an event called The Benedict Kiely Literary Weekend is held to celebrate the author's many achievements.[2]

Family

A well-known brother-in-law was Frank McCrory who worked for many years as a playwright/songwriter of pantomimes at Omagh Town Hall. Frank's wife Eileen was Benedict Kiely's sister. Drumquin is often mentioned in his novels and stories as the source of his maternal family connections. His mother was from Claramore, a townland near Drumquin.^{[citation needed]}

Death

According to RTÉ News, Kiely died in St Vincent's Hospital in Dublin on 9 February 2007,^[3] aged 87.

Family

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On 5 July 1944, Kiely married Maureen O'Connell. This marriage produced four children:

• Mary Patricia Kiely (1945–1999)
• Anne Kiely (born: 1946)
• John Kiely (born: 1948)
• Emer Kiely (born: 1949)

He was survived by his second wife Frances, his daughters Anne Kiely and Emer Cronin, his son John Kiely, and a large extended family.

List of works

Short stories

• The Collected Stories of Benedict Kiely (2001)
• The Trout in the Turnhole (1996)
• A Letter to Peachtree (1987)
• The State of Ireland: A Novella and Seventeen Short Stories (1981)
• A Cow in the House (1978)
• A Ball of Malt and Madame Butterfly (1973)
• A Journey to the Seven Streams (1963)

Literary Criticism and Non-Fiction

• A Raid into Dark Corners and Other Essays (1999)
• All the Way to Bantry Bay and Other Irish Journeys (1978)
• Modern Irish Fiction: A Critique (1950)
• Poor Scholar; A Study of William Carleton (1947)
• Counties of Contention (1945)

Novels

• Nothing Happens in Carmincross (1985)
• Proxopera: A Tale of Modern Ireland (1977)
• Dogs Enjoy the Morning (1968)
• The Captain with the Whiskers (1960)
• There Was an Ancient House (1955)
• The Cards of the Gambler (1953)
• Honey Seems Bitter (1952)
• In a Harbour Green (1949)
• Call for a Miracle (1948)
• Land Without Stars (1946)

Autobiography

• Drink to the Bird: An Omagh Boyhood (1992)
• The Waves Behind Us: A Memoir (1999)

Television and radio broadcasts

• Jungle of Pembroke Road (TV) (1974) – Himself
• Humours of Donnybrook (TV) (1979) – Himself
• Irish Angle – Hands: Fermanagh County (TV) (1981) – Scriptwriter
• Irish Angle – Hands: Curraghs (TV) (1985) – Narrator
• Wordweaver – The Legend of Benedict Kiely (TV) (2005) – Himself
• Sunday Miscellany (an RTÉ1 radio programme broadcast each Sunday between 9.00 and 10.00 am) – contributor of short talks mostly on literature or other Irish topics

References