Tony-Winning Playwright, Brian Friel, Dies at Age 86

Brian Friel, Tony Award winning Playwright, has passed away at age 86 according to the Irish Times. Friel is known for his work in the plays Dancing At Lughnasa and Philadelphia, Here I Come!

According to The Irish Times, Friel passed away early Friday morning in Ireland. A "giant of world theatre," Friel left his larger than life mark on the world of theatre.

Born in 1929 in Ireland, Friel didn't always pursue his writing. He became a teacher in 1967 after moving to Donegal. Three years after thus he had his first stage success, Philadelphia, Here I Come! The play garnered international success and put Friel on the map.

Of course, Brian Friel's most notable work was Dancing at Lughnasa, which earned three Tony Awards in 1992. Friel won several awards for his work including Tony Award, Evening Standard Award, New York Drama Critic's Circle and Olivier Award, and was elected a Saoi of Aosdána in 2006.

According to the Irish Times, "He wrote 24 published plays, two short-story collections and three unpublished and eight published adaptations or versions, most notably from Ibsen, Chekov and Turgenev."

Some of Brian Friel's other works include: Lovers, The Gentle Island, The Freedom of the City, Aristocrats, Faith Healer, Translations, Making History, Dancing at Lughnasa, Molly Sweeney, Give Me Your Answer Do! and The Home Place.

According to the Irish Times the Minister for Arts Heather Humphreys expressed great sadness at his death. "Brian was one of our truly great playwrights and was a household name not only here at home but on the international stage as well..... Through his writing he brought Ireland, and particularly Donegal, to the world."

"The Irish nation and world theatre community is grieving the loss of an extraordinary and major playwright of our times," stated Abbey Theatre director Fiach Mac Conghail

Fiach Mac Conghail continued by saying "I consider Brian Friel to be one of Ireland's greatest nation builders who forensically interrogated and challenged the establishment of the Republic of Ireland. Brian Friel understood the power and ambiguity of memory in developing a sense of who we are as a people."

Brian Friel is survived by his wife Anne and his children Mary, Judy, Sally and David. He will be buried in Glenties cemetery on October 4th at 3pm.