Beatrice Behan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Beatrice Behan
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|---|---|
| Born |
Beatrice Ffrench Salkeld
31 December 1925 Mount Street, Dublin
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| Died | 9 March 1993 (aged 67) Anglesea Road, Ballsbridge
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| Nationality | Irish |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Partner(s) | Cathal Goulding |
| Children | Blanaid Behan Paudge Behan |
| Parent(s) | Cecil Ffrench Salkeld Irma Taesler |
| Relatives | Blanaid Salkeld (grandmother) Celia Salkeld (sister) |
Beatrice Behan was an Irish artist and writer. She was born on December 31, 1925, and passed away on March 9, 1993. Beatrice was married to the famous Irish writer Brendan Behan.
Growing Up and Learning
Beatrice Behan was born in Dublin, Ireland, on December 31, 1925. Her birth name was Beatrice ffrench Salkeld. Her father, Cecil Ffrench Salkeld, was an artist. Her mother, Irma Salkeld, was from Berlin. Beatrice's grandmother, Blanaid Salkeld, was a well-known poet.
Beatrice grew up in Dublin and also spent time in Glencree, County Wicklow. She went to Loreto College, St Stephen's Green for her schooling. After that, she studied art at the National College of Art and Design (NCAD). She first attended NCAD as a full-time student. Later, she studied in the evenings while working as a temporary clerk.
Her Artistic Career
After finishing her art studies, Beatrice worked at the Natural History Museum (Ireland). She was a botanical assistant there from 1949 to 1955. This means she helped with plants and drawings related to them. During this time, she also continued her art studies in Italy, visiting cities like Milan, Siena, and Florence.
Beatrice was a talented artist. She showed her work in many exhibitions. From 1948 to 1950, her art was displayed at the Royal Hibernian Academy. She also exhibited at the Oireachtas Exhibition in 1957 and 1958. Her work was part of the Irish Living Art Exhibition in 1959. Later, her art was shown in New York in 1969 and 1970. She even had her work at the Irish pavilion during the World Fair in 1972. Beatrice also helped her father paint murals in Davy Byrne's pub in Dublin. She continued to look after these murals later on.
Family Life
Beatrice met Brendan Behan through her family when she was still in school. They met again years later and got married in February 1955. Their daughter, Blanaid, was born shortly before Brendan passed away in 1963. Later, Beatrice had a son named Paudge Behan with Cathal Goulding.
When Beatrice and Brendan first married, she helped support their family. She worked as an illustrator for The Irish Times, drawing pictures for plants and gardens. The couple lived in Dublin but also spent time in Paris, New York, and London. Beatrice was very supportive of her husband and his work. She once called him a "great, loveable genius." She also drew pictures for Brendan's book, Hold your hour and have another (1963). After Brendan's death, she worked with Alan Simpson on one of Brendan's unfinished plays called Richard's cork leg.
Later Years
In 1973, Beatrice Behan wrote a book about her life with Brendan. It was called My life with Brendan. After her husband passed away, Beatrice worked to settle all of his many debts. Beatrice Behan was found at her home in Ballsbridge, Dublin, on March 9, 1993.
