Playwright Brian Friel dies aged 86

Acclaimed Irish playwright Brian Friel has died aged 86 after a long illness.

Friel is best known for plays such as Translations, Dancing at Lughnasa and Philadelphia, Here I Come.

He was born in Killyclogher, County Tyrone in 1929. He worked as a teacher in Londonderry before moving to County Donegal in the 1960s.

In 1992, Friel won three Tony Awards for Dancing at Lughnasa. The play was later made into a film starring Meryl Streep.

Actor Liam Neeson, who performed in five of Friel's plays during his early career, told BBC News Northern Ireland "it was a joy to say his words and to feel secure in the hands of a master craftsman".

"Brian was Ireland's Chekhov," he said.

"All his plays touched on the parochial and the universal.

"Their themes described the complexities of the Irish character with enormous wit, grace and love.

"I hope he and Heaney are having a 'wee one' together now and sharing a giggle."

'Immense legacy'

Irish President Michael D Higgins said Friel was "one of the giants of Irish literature, and a great Irishman".

"To have had the privilege of knowing Brian Friel as a friend was an immense gift," he said.

"He was a man of powerful intellect, great courage and generosity. These were talents that he delivered with great humour, grit and compassion.

"His legacy to the Irish people is immense."

Nobel Peace Prize winner John Hume described Friel as a "genius who lived, breathed and walked amongst us".

Liam Neeson (second left) performed in five of Friel's plays, including Philadelphia Here I Come. Photo taken from BBC

"His loss will be felt terribly by his family and his fans. However, we can count ourselves lucky that the treasure of his work will be with us forever.

"He had a unique ability to transform the local to the global and bring the past to the present which enthralled people the world over."

Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny said Friel's writing "will forever form part of the canon of greatness in dramatic writing".

"The consummate Irish storyteller, his work spoke to each of us with humour, emotion and authenticity," he said.

Northern Ireland's Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness described Friel as "one of our greatest ever playwrights".

"Brian was a quiet, unassuming man who made a huge contribution to the arts and his work had universal appeal," he said.

Breakthrough

Friel was born on either 9 or 10 January 1929, with the precise date never being confirmed.

He began writing while working as a teacher in Derry. In 1954, A Sort of Freedom - his first play - was broadcast by the BBC.

In the same year, he married Anne Morrison and the couple had five children: Mary, Paddy, Judy, Sally and David.

His major breakthrough came 10 years later when Philadelphia, Here I Come was performed on Broadway.

In 1980, he co-founded the Field Day Theatre Company with actor Stephen Rea.

Their work became known as an artistic response to the violence and politics that divided Northern Ireland at that time.

Actor Stephen Rea with Brian Friel when they co-founded Field Day in 1980. Photo taken from BBC.

Previously, Rea had described the writer as being "completely in tune with Irish audiences".

"There is something innate in the plays where he speaks very directly to an Irish audience and we found the audience for him."

Apart from his original writing, Friel was also known for his adaptations of Russian playwright Anton Chekhov and has been described as the Irish Chekhov.

His other achievements include serving as a senator in the upper house of the Irish parliament between 1987 and 1989 and being elected to Aosdana, the Irish association to honour those who have made an outstanding contribution to the arts, in 1982.