| John B. Keane | |
|---|---|
| Born | John Brendan Keane July 21, 1928 Listowel, County Kerry, Irish Free State |
| Died | May 5, 2002 (aged 73) Listowel, County Kerry, Republic of Ireland |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Education | St. Michael's College Listowel |
| Spouse | Mary O'Connor |
| Child(ren) | Billy Keane Conor Keane John Keane Joanna Keane |
| Information | |
| Notable work(s) | The Field, Sive |
| Awards | Honorary Life Member of the Royal Dublin Society |
John Brendan Keane (21 July 1928 – 30 May 2002) was an Irish playwright, novelist and essayist from Listowel, County Kerry.
A son of William B. Keane and Hannah Purtill, he was educated at Listowel National School and then at St. Michael's College Listowel. He worked as a chemist's assistant for A.H. Jones, a chemist who dabbled in buying antiques. Keane had various jobs in the UK between 1951 and 1955, and was a pub owner in Listowel from 1955.
He married Mary O'Connor and had four children: Billy, Conor, John and Joanna. He was an Honorary Life Member of the Royal Dublin Society from 1991, served as president of Irish PEN and was a founder member of the Society of Irish Playwrights as well as a member of Aosdána. He remained a prominent member of the Fine Gael party throughout his life, never being shy of political debate.
His nephew is the award-winning investigative journalist Fergal Keane. His son John is a journalist with the Kilkenny People.