Literature
James Plunkett
Born in Dublin in 1920, he worked in the drama department at Raidió Éireann and later as head of features at RTÉ, and previously served as a trade union official under James Larkin. His short story collections include The Eagles and the Trumpets, which was published by the literary journal The Bell in 1954 in place of its regular issue; The Trusting and the Maimed (1955) and Collected Stories (1977). His first novel Strumpet City (1969) is an epic about Dublin that was later filmed by RTÉ with Peter O’Toole. Later novels are Farewell Companions (1977) and The Circus Animals (1990). The Gems She Wore, a collection of autobiographical reminiscences about Irish places, appeared in 1972, and The Boy on the Back Wall, a collection of essays based on the work of Frank O’Connor, in 1987. The Risen People, a play, was originally written for and broadcast on radio, then appeared at the Abbey Theatre in 1958 before touring London and Belfast. He also wrote several film scripts and radio and television features.