Thomas Kilroy facts for kids

Thomas F. Kilroy (born September 23, 1934 – died December 7, 2023) was a famous Irish writer. He wrote many plays and novels that were enjoyed by people all over the world.

About Thomas Kilroy

Thomas F. Kilroy was born in a town called Callan, County Kilkenny in Ireland. When he was young, he went to St Kieran's College. He was very good at hurling, which is a traditional Irish sport, and even led his school team in 1952. He later studied at University College Dublin.

Early in his career, Thomas Kilroy worked at the Abbey Theatre, Dublin, which is a very famous theatre in Ireland. He helped choose which plays would be performed there. In the 1980s, he was part of the Field Day Theatre Company, which was started by other famous Irish writers like Brian Friel and actor Stephen Rea. He even directed their touring shows.

In 1978, Kilroy became a Professor of English at University College Galway. He taught there until 1989, when he decided to leave his job to focus completely on his writing.

Thomas Kilroy lived in County Mayo, a beautiful part of Ireland. He was a member of important groups like the Irish Academy of Letters, the Royal Society of Literature, and Aosdána, which honors Irish artists.

His writings and other important papers are kept safe at the James Hardiman Library at Galway University. In 2011, there was a special event to celebrate his collection, and many important people attended, including Brian Friel and Michael D. Higgins, who later became the President of Ireland.

Thomas Kilroy passed away on December 7, 2023, when he was 89 years old.

Awards and Special Honours

Thomas Kilroy received many awards for his amazing writing:

• He won the Guardian Fiction Prize in 1971 for his novel The Big Chapel.
• He also received the Heinemann Award for Literature.
• The AIB Literary Prize was given to him.
• He earned the American-Irish Foundation Award for Literature.
• He was given a special residency by the Rockefeller Foundation.
• He received a Fellowship from the Kyoto University Foundation.
• He earned a Prix Nikki Special Commendation.
• In 2004, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Irish Times / ESB Theatre Awards, which is a very high honor for a writer.
• In 2008, he won the Irish PEN Award.

Thomas Kilroy's Plays

Thomas Kilroy wrote many plays that were performed in theatres. Here are some of them:

• The Death and Resurrection of Mr Roche (1968)
• The O'Neill (1969)
• Talbot's Box (1973)
• Double Cross (1986)
• The Madame MacAdam Travelling Theatre (1992)
• The Secret Fall of Constance Wilde (1997)
• Blake (2001)
• The Shape of Metal (2003)
• My Scandalous Life (2004)
• Christ Deliver Us! (2010)

Plays He Adapted

Thomas Kilroy also adapted (changed for the stage) plays written by other famous playwrights:

• The Seagull by Chekhov (1981)
• Ghosts by Ibsen (1989)
• Six Characters in Search of an Author by Pirandello (1996)

Books He Wrote

Besides plays, Thomas Kilroy also wrote novels and edited books:

• The Big Chapel (1971): This novel was very popular and won the Guardian Fiction Prize. It was also considered for the Booker Prize, another major award.
• Sean O'Casey: a Collection of Critical Essays (1975): This was a book he edited about another famous Irish writer.

Works for Radio and TV

Thomas Kilroy also wrote for radio and television:

• The Door (BBC Radio 4, 1967)
• That Man Bracken (BBC Radio 3, 1986)
• The Colleen and the Cowboy (RTÉ Radio, 2005)
• Farmers (Radio Telefís Éireann, 1978)
• Gold in the Streets (1993)
• The Black Joker

Unpublished Works

• Dreaming House (1990): This was a play he wrote about the novelist George Moore, but it was not published.

Books About Thomas Kilroy

• The Plays of Thomas Kilroy: A Critical Study by Thierry Dubost (2007)
• Field Day and the Translation of Irish Identities: Performing Contradictions by Aidan O'Malley (2011)