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Leagan Gaeilge Shíos |
| Brian Friel was born on January 9th, 1929 in Kilclogher near Omagh, County Tyrone. His mother was from Glenties and his father was from Derry. He was educated at St. Columb's College, Derry; Maynooth University and St. Joseph’s Teacher Training College, Belfast. He taught at the Christian Tech, Derry (Brow of the Hill) for ten years before becoming a full time writer in 1960. Friel began writing short stories for The New Yorker in 1959 and published two acclaimed collections, The Saucer of Larks (1962) and The Gold in the Sea (1966). His first play, 'This Doubtful Paradise', premiered in 1959, followed by ' The Enemy Within' (1962) (about St. Columba). Friel's next plays, 'Philadelphia, Here I Come!' (1964); 'The Loves of Cass McGuire' (1966) and 'Lovers' (1967) were highly praised and performed in Dublin, London and on Broadway and brought him international recognition. Friel went on to write many more original plays, including 'The Freedom of the City' (1973); 'Volunteers' (1979); 'Aristocrats' (1979); 'Faith Healer' (1979); 'Translations' (1981); 'The Communication Cord' (1982); 'Making History' (1988); 'Dancing at Lughnasa' (1990); 'Wonderful Tennessee' (1993); 'Molly Sweeney' (1994) and 'Give Me Your Answer Do!' (1997). He has also written a number of plays based on adaptions of other playwrights' works. In 1980 Brian Friel became a founder member of Field Day theatre company, based in Derry. The Company produced many plays and published, most notably, The Field Day Anthology of Irish Writing. Friel was appointed to the Irish Seanad in 1987; is a member of Aosdána and is a shareholder in the Abbey Theatre. He continues to live and work in County Donegal. |
 Brian Friel |
| Friel's Dancing at Lughnasa (1990), his most acclaimed play to date, premiered at the Abbey Theatre, transferred to London´s West End and went on to play on Broadway where it won three Tony Awards in 1992. The play is set in Ballybeg, a fictional landscape based on Friel's childhood experiences in Glenties, Donegal. The play was filmed in 1998 and the fillm's web site is Dancing at Lughusa. Frank McGuinness' screen adaptation of Friel's Dancing at Lughnasa (1998) and Friel's Selected Stories, together with his Essays, Diaries, Interviews 1964-1998 are available in book form from Amazon. Rugadh Brian Friel ar an 9ú lá de Eanair 1929 í Kilcogher taobh leis an Omaigh -í dTir Eoghain. Ba as Na Gleanntaí a mháthair agus as Condae Dhoire a athair. Chuaigh sé chuig Coláiste Cholumb í nDoire; Ollscoil Mhagh Nuadh agus Coláiste Oiliúna Muinteoirí Naomh Iosef í mBéal Feirste. Mhúin sé sa Ghairmscoil Críostaí (Brow of the Hills) í nDoire ar feadh deich mbliana sular ndeachaigh sé le scríobhnóireacht go lán-aimseartha sa bliain 1960. Thosaigh Brain Friel ag scríobh gearrscealtaí fa choinne an 'New Yorker' í 1959 agus d'fhoilsigh sé dhá bhailiúchan ghairmiúla, 'Saucer of Larks' í 1959 agus 'The Gold in the Sea' í 1966. An chéad dráma a rinne sé na 'This doubtful Paradise.' Taispeánadh é don chéad uair í 1959 agus ina dhiadh sin scríobh sé 'The Enemy Within' í 1962 faoi Choláiste St Columbas. Na chéad drámaí eile a scríobh Friel 'Philadelphia Here I Come' í 1967, 'The Loves of Cass McGuire' í 1966 agus 'Lovers' í 1976, fuair siad ard-mholadh. Leiriú iad í mBaile Atha Cliath, Londain agus Broadway agus fuair sé aitheantais idirnáisiúnta mar gheall orthu. Lean sé air ag scríobh a lán dramaí eile; 'The Freedom of the City' í 1973, 'Volunteers', 'Aristocrats' agus 'Faith Healer' san áireamh. Scríobh sé 'Translation' í 1981, 'The Communication Cord' í 1982, 'Making History' í 1988, 'Dancing at Lughnasa' í 1990, 'Wonderful Tennessee' í 1993, 'Molly Sweeney' í 1994 agus 'Give me your Answer Do!' í 1997. Comh maith le sin scríobh Friel roinnt dramaí bunaithe ar athcoiriú ar obair dramadoiri eile. I 1980 bhí Brian Friel ar dhuine de na baill a bhunaigh Amharclann Field Day í nDoire. Léirigh an grúpa seo a lán dramaí agus d'fhoilsigh siad an saothar suntasach, "The Field day Anthology of Irish Writing." Ceapadh Friel mar bhall de Sheanad Éireann í 1987; tá ballraíocht aige ar Aosdána agus tá scair aige in Amharclann na Mainistreach. Tá sé go fóill ina chonaí agus ag obair í gCo Dhún na nGall. Ís é an drama 'Dancing at Lughnasa' í 1990 an ceann is gairmiúla go dtí seo. Léiríodh é don chéad uair in Amharclann na Mainistreach, ansin lean sé ar aghaidh go dti an West End í Londain agus ansin go Broadway, áit ar bhuaidh sé trí "Tony Awards" sa bhliain 1992. Tarlaíonn an dráma seo i Ballybeg, áit samhlaithe atá bunaithe ar óige Bhrian ins Na Gleanntaí í gCo. Dhún na nGall. Rinneadh scannán den dráma seo in 1998 agus is é an gréasan na ' 'Dancing at Lughusa'. Tá athchoiriú mar scannán a rinne Frank Mc Guinness ar 'Dancing at Lughnasa' í 1998, Toghadh Scealtaí agus Aiste, Dialann, Agallamh, ó 1964 - 1998 le Brian Friel le fáil í bhfoirm leabhar ó Amazon.© |
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