Born in Dublin where he spent most of his short life, Behan described himself as ‘a drinker with writing problems’. Bred on literary tales at the feet of both his parents from a young age, Behan became for a short spell one of Dublin’s most colourful characters rubbing shoulders with Flann O’Brien and Patrick Kavanagh though not always in the most pleasant of terms.
He was an Irish republican and a volunteer in the Irish Republican Army, spending time in Borstal for his solo mission to try and blow up the Liverpool docks, where he penned The Borstal Boy.
Behan also penned The Quare Fellow which was staged in Dublin and London and later The Hostage.
Take a walk in Behan’s shadows on Dublin’s northside. Nearby hotels include Clontarf Castle.
