Dominic Behan facts for kids

Dominic Behan (/ˈbiːən/ BEE-ən; Irish: Doiminic Ó Beacháin; 22 October 1928 – 3 August 1989) was an Irish writer, songwriter, and singer. He was from Dublin, Ireland, and wrote in both Irish and English. Dominic was also a socialist and an Irish republican. He came from the famous Behan family, known for their writing. Many people consider him one of the most important Irish songwriters of the 20th century.

About Dominic Behan

His Early Life

Dominic Behan was born in the busy inner city of Dublin. His family was working-class but very educated. His father, Stephen Behan, was part of the Irish Republican Army (IRA). This group fought for Ireland's independence from Britain.

Dominic had famous brothers, including Brendan Behan, who was also a well-known writer. His mother, Kathleen, loved collecting songs and stories. She often took her sons on fun tours around the city to learn about its history and culture. Dominic's uncle, Peadar Kearney, wrote "A Soldier's Song." This song later became the basis for the Irish National Anthem. Another brother, Brian, was also a playwright and writer.

When Dominic was thirteen, he left school. He started working as a house painter, just like his father. Their family home belonged to his grandmother, Christine English, who owned several properties in Dublin. His father, Stephen, was a member of the IRA. He was part of a special group called "Twelve Apostles" led by Michael Collins. This group was involved in important actions during the Irish War of Independence. Because his father refused to promise loyalty to the British Crown, he was not allowed to have a professional career later on.

Fighting for Change

In 1937, Dominic's family moved to a new housing area in Crumlin. Here, Dominic joined Fianna Éireann. This was a youth group linked to the IRA. He started writing his first poems and stories for their magazine, Fianna: the Voice of Young Ireland.

In 1952, Dominic was arrested in Dublin. He had led a protest where people refused to obey certain laws. This protest was against the government not doing enough about unemployment and other money problems. Dominic was also jailed for other protests. These protests aimed to help working-class people in Ireland who were being treated unfairly by the government.

Dominic the Writer

After being released from jail, Dominic moved to Scotland for a while. He lived with the Scottish poet Hugh MacDiarmid in Glasgow. Dominic always said that MacDiarmid helped him a lot to become a writer. He learned to see poetry as a good way to share his ideas. Later, he would start writing plays.

While living with MacDiarmid, Dominic got involved with the "Scottish Republican Army." He helped move weapons from the IRA (which he knew well) to this Scottish group. During this time, he met Josephine Quinn, who would become his wife. Josephine's mother, Bridget Quinn, ran a safe house for different revolutionary groups. Dominic met Josephine at Bridget's house, and they married in 1955.

Dominic later moved to London and started working for the BBC. He wrote radio plays, mostly for the Third Programme. His play Posterity Be Damned was shown in the Gaiety Theatre, Dublin, in 1959. It was about republican activities after the Irish Civil War (1922–23).

His book Teems of Times (1961) was a story about his own life. It received great reviews, especially from a famous theatre critic named Kenneth Tynan. This book was later made into a TV show by RTÉ in 1977. His autobiography, Tell Dublin I Miss Her, also came out in 1961 and sold very well in the USA. He wrote a book about his brother called My Brother Brendan in 1965. However, because of a legal problem, Dominic didn't get much money from this book.

In the 1960s and 1970s, Dominic wrote almost 20 TV plays for British television. These were shown on popular programs like Play for Today and Armchair Theatre. One of his plays, The Folk Singer (1972), was about the religious and political problems in Northern Ireland. It was later performed in Belfast during the time known as the Troubles. A young Scottish actor named Ken Stott starred in it.

During this time, Dominic also worked with the Official IRA leaders. He helped raise money, mainly by giving talks in the United States. This money was used to start a summer school in Mornington, County Meath. The goal was to bring young Protestant and Catholic working-class people together. They would do adventure activities to break down barriers and encourage teamwork. The school ran courses every year through most of the 1970s. This showed Dominic's strong belief that the problems in Northern Ireland could only be solved through talking and respect.

Dominic Behan was a self-taught man. He was very smart and had many respected thinkers as friends. These included Hugh MacDiarmid, the Scottish poet he lived with, and Louis MacNeice, who sometimes wrote with him for the BBC. He also knew H. A. L. Craig, the writer who wrote the movie Waterloo.

Dominic also spent time working in education. He was chosen as the "Writer in residence" for secondary schools in the Strathclyde Region. He loved this job for over five years. Dominic always believed that young people were worth investing in. This role allowed him to help young, talented writers get noticed and encouraged.

Dominic also helped many musicians. He worked with people in the music industry, like Phil Solomon (who owned Radio Caroline). He helped artists like The Dubliners, David McWilliams, and Christy Moore develop their performances. He also helped them write songs. Because of this, Dominic made many lasting friendships with musicians from different styles, including Eric Burdon, Jimi Hendrix, and Chas Chandler.

His Songs

Dominic Behan wrote a lot of songs. He had over 450 songs published during his life. Many of his songs were very popular in Ireland and among Irish people living in other countries. Some of his most famous songs include "The Patriot Game", "McAlpine's Fusiliers" (which he adapted from Martin Henry), "Avondale", and "Liverpool Lou".

In 1958, he released an album called The Singing Streets: Childhood Memories of Ireland and Scotland. He made this album with another folk singer, Ewan MacColl, whom he worked with for several years. Dominic was very protective of his songs. He publicly accused Bob Dylan of copying his song "The Patriot Game" when Dylan wrote "With God on Our Side".

In 2009, "The Patriot Game" from his 1960 album Easter Week and After: Songs of the IRA was included in a special 70-year anniversary collection called Three Score and Ten.

Dominic's Passing

Dominic Behan passed away at his home in Glasgow on 3 August 1989. He was 60 years old. He died from problems related to pancreatic cancer. This happened shortly after his book The Public World of Parable Jones was published and received good reviews.

He was survived by his wife, Josephine, and his two sons, Fintan and Stephen. Dominic was cremated in Glasgow. His ashes were scattered at the Royal Canal in Dublin, close to where he was born. May MacGiolla, the wife of Workers' Party politician Tomás MacGiolla, scattered them. His lifelong friend Seán Garland, who was the general secretary of the Workers' Party, gave a speech at his funeral. Dominic had been a strong supporter of the Workers' Party for many years.

Dominic Behan's Works

Plays He Wrote

• Posterity Be Damned (1959)
• The Folk Singer (1969)
• Ireland Mother Ireland (1969)
• Tell Dublin I Miss Her (1998)

Books He Wrote

• Teems of Times (1961)
• Tell Dublin I Miss Her (1961)
• My Brother Brendan (1965)
• Ireland Sings! (1966)
• The Singing Irish (1969)
• The Life and Times of Spike Milligan (1987)
• The Public World of Parable Jones (1988)
• The Catacombs (1989)

Some of His Songs

• "Arkle"
• "Avondale"
• "Building Up and Tearing England Down"
• "Come Out Ye Black and Tans"
• "Connolly Will Be There"
• "Hand me Down me Petticoat"
• "Liverpool Lou"
• "Maloney Wants a Drink"
• "McAlpine's Fusiliers"
• "The Merry Ploughboy"
• "Our Last Hope"
• "Paddy on the Road"
• "The Patriot Game"
• "The Sea Around Us"
• "Take It Down from the Mast"

Poems He Wrote

• "Bás, Fás, Blás"