Siobhán Ní Shúilleabháin

Siobhán Ní Shúilleabháin (31 August 1928 – 21 May 2013) was an Irish dramatist and writer.

Biography edit

Siobhán Ní Shúilleabháin was born in Ballyferriter, County Kerry. She was one of six children of Séamus Ó Súilleabháin and Máire Feiritéar. Her brother was author Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin.

John B. Keane called her the "best dramatist writing in Ireland". Ní Shúilleabháin was the winner of the Irish Life award for plays in 1974, and of thirty Oireachtas literary awards. Her novel Aistriú (2004) led Pól Ó Muirí to write, "[It] is a work of great compassion and poignancy and Ní Shúilleabháin tells the story fluently. Her use of dialogue is particularly impressive, giving the reader the immediate sense of what is said but, magically, also conveying a second meaning behind the spoken one. It is the sound of speech and the whisper of a sigh that adds so much to a wonderful novel."[1]

Her husband, academic Patrick Leo Henry, died in 2011.

Ní Shúilleabháin died in Galway on 21 May 2013, survived by her six children. A great-niece is comedian and actress Aisling Bea.

Selected works edit

Children's books edit

  • Triúr Againn, 1955
  • Mé Féin agus Síle, 1978
  • Rósanna sa Gháirdín, 1994

Novels edit

  • Ospidéal, 1980
  • Aistriú, 2004

Plays edit

  • Cití, 1975
  • Madge agus Martha, 1976
  • Is Tú mo Mhac, 1990

Plays for television edit

  • Saolaíodh Gamhain, 1971
  • An Carabhan, 1972
  • Teacht agus Imeacht

Poetry edit

  • Cnuasach Trá, 2000

References edit

  1. ^ "John B Keane said she was 'best dramatist in Ireland'". The Irish Times. 22 June 2013. Retrieved 27 November 2018.

External links edit