Sean O’Casey
March 30th 1880 – September 18th 1964
“Even here, even now, when the sun had set and the evening star was chastely touching the bosom of the night, there were things to say, things to do. A drink first! What would he drink to – the past, the present, the future? To all of them! He would drink to the life that embraced the three of them! Here, with whitened hair , desires failing , strength ebbing out of him , with the sun gone down, and with only the serenity and the calm warning of the evening star left to him , he drank to life, to all that had been , to what it was , to what it would be. Hurrah!”
On this date 50 years ago, 18th September 1964, Sean O’Casey died. The quote above is the closing paragraph of his six part autobiography. Two important events are taking place this weekend to celebrate the life and work of the playwright who spent three decades of his early life in our community. An evening of performances and readings will take place on Friday , and on Saturday a plaque will be unveiled on the site of the former St Barnabas Church & school where O’Casey and his family attended .
