Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

RT Celebrates Brendan Behan's 100th birthday

03/02/2023

RT Celebrates Brendan Behan's 100th birthday

on television, on radio and online

https://www.rte.ie/brendan-behan/

Brendan Behan was born one hundred years ago, on 9th February 1923, and to celebrate this important birth centenary, RT has put together a programme of themed content, both new and existing through RT Archives, across television, radio and online.

MAIN PROGRAMME HIGHLIGHTS

>>>ON TELEVISION

Nationwide: RT One, 7pm, Wednesday 8 February

In a special programme, RT One's Nationwide looks back on the life and work of Brendan Behan, revisiting many locations of Behan's city including Russell Street in the north inner city where he grew up, Mountjoy prison, the house in Anglesea Road, Dublin 4 which he bought with his wife Beatrice and his grave at Glasnevin Cemetery, including RT Archive material of Behan. As part of the programme, presenter Anne Cassin will talk to Brendan Behan's daughter Blanaid Behan, writer and director, Peter Sheridan, historian, Donal Fallon and academic, Deirdre McMahon.

>>>ON RADIO

Bowman 8.30: RT Radio 1, 8.30am, Sunday 5th February and 12th February

Across two Sunday mornings John Bowman presents a timely selection of recordings of and about Brendan Behan from RT Archives.

Sunday Miscellany: RT Radio 1, 9.10am, Sunday 5th February

On Sunday Miscellany, Bl naid Behan (pictured below), in Familiar Stranger, writes about the father she barely knew but whose presence looms large in her life.

At rare gatherings with my father's side of the family old Dublin ladies would pat me on the head and say sadly, God love you child, you lost your Da and he was awful young.' To me at the age of seven or eight, 41 seemed quite ancient! Sure, doesn't everyone die at 41?' I wondered. I examined photos for any hint of a likeness. Joan Littlewood, the legendary theatre director in whose hands his play The Hostage won numerous accolades, told me I had his eyes

Arena: RT Radio 1, 7pm Monday 6th February

An hour-long special looking at Brendan Behan's entire career and legacy with guest writer and director Peter Sheridan, writer and historian Donal Fallon, who also presents the Three Castles Burning podcast, and musicians Daoir Farrell, Anne Buckley and Macdara Yeates.

Behan Beach in: RT Radio 1, 7.30pm Sunday 12th, 9th and 16th February

A short series focuses on Behan's writing and spoken words:

Sunday 12th February: Brendan Behan's New York is his posthumously published book, transcribed from recordings by Behan recounting stories around the city he loved. On its publication it was described as A big broth of a book, full of the late author's wit and charm'. The programme features actor David Herlihy (who himself performed in a milestone Borstal Boy production directed by Joe Dowling) with a jazz soundtrack contemporary to the period in which Behan spent time in New York.

Sunday 19th February: A focus on the poetry of Brendan Behan or Breand n Beach in as he called himself when he wrote in Irish. The poems are read by actor Br d N Neachtain (who plays the role of the post-mistress in The Banshees of Inisherin) and Behan's nephew and literary academic Colbert Kearney.

Sunday 26th February: Behan's classic short story The Confirmation Suit was as though written to be read aloud with its rhythms and musicality. This coming-of-age story is set in Behan's inner-city Dublin where he grew up. The 12-year-old narrator is approaching his coming-of-age sacrament of confirmation only to be dashed by the prospect of wearing the dowdy suit that has been made for him for the occasion. The story is specially performed for this programme by Dublin poet and spoken word artist Stephen James Smith.

An C inne D na: RnaG, 6.30 pm Sunday 5th February

As we approach the centenary anniversary of Brendan Behan's birth on 9 February, Des Geraghty joins Tristan Rosenstock on An C inne D na to discuss the significance of Behan's Irish-language writing.

>>>ONLINE

To mark this special occasion, RT has created a dedicated Brendan Behan themed index www.rte.ie/brendan-behan/ which also features on RT Culture. It offers the perfect destination for a rich variety of Behan-related material and includes a range of programming mentioned above. The wider Behan family also features, including Behan's brothers Brian and Dominic, also writers, his mother Kathleen Behan, a renowned singer, and Brendan Behan's wife, painter Beatrice Behan (Salkeld). This site dedicated to all things Behan will be curated throughout the year and is one to watch for all Brendan Behan fans.

Commenting RT 's Group Head, Arts and Culture, Ann-Marie Power said: Behan became one of Dublin's most recognizable citizens, adoring city life, and one of the West End's and Broadway's most famous playwrights and celebrities. Notably, he is among few Irish writers whose command of and flair for language found such fluency in Irish and in English. The titles of Brendan Behan's the The Quare Fellow, The Hostage and Borstal Boy and stand assuredly alongside other seminal works of 20th century Irish literature, including those of James Joyce, Elizabeth Bowen, Samuel Beckett, and Mary Lavin, although Behan's personal life and struggles sometimes overshadow his writing talent.

Now, in Celebrating the Centenary of Brendan Behan RT offers a breath of new and RT Archive programmes across television, radio and online going beyond the persona and crude stereotype by focusing on the quality of his work, his powerful interpretations of the society of his day and his place in Irish culture.'

For more visit www.rte.ie/brendan-behan/ and www.rte.ie/Culture

>>>ADDITIONAL DETAILS: TELEVISION

Nationwide: RT One, 7pm, Wednesday 8 February

Presenter Anne Cassin looks back on the life and work of B
LINK: https://about.rte.ie/2023/02/03/rte-celebrates-brendan-behans-100th-bi...
See more stories from rte

Most recent headlines

05/01/2027

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be demoed at CES 2026

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...

04/08/2026

Dalet Announces Commercial Availability of Dalia, Bringing Media-Aware Agentic AI to Enterprise Productions

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...

04/07/2026

Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in Dolby Cinemas Across Japan, Presented in Dolby Atmos and Dolby ...

April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...

01/06/2026

Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026

January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026 Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...

05/05/2026

L3Harris Provides Key Technologies for Newly Commissioned Navy Submarines

L3Harris provides communications, electronic warfare, sensors and mission systems that enable Virginia-class submarine crews to operate with confidence in conte...

05/05/2026

AgileTV consolidates its strength in 2025: EBITDA and cash conversion increase thanks to revenue growth and operational efficiency

The company grew by 7.6% in net revenue and 16.3% in EBITDA, achieving a 33% inc...

05/05/2026

Gray Media Closes Purchase of 10 Allen Media Group Stations

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

05/05/2026

Dang Ly Joins Operative as Chief Product Officer

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

05/05/2026

CIMM, TVB Release Local TV Currency Measurement Guidelines

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

05/05/2026

ARRI Introduces Omnibar LED Linear Fixture

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

05/05/2026

France Televisions Continues ST 2110 Migration With Imagi...

Project Marks First Major Broadcast Deployment of Latest Addition to SNP Lineup Imagine Communications today announced that France T l visions is the first br...

05/05/2026

Shotoku Broadcast Systems Wins 2026 NAB Show Product of t...

Shotoku Broadcast Systems Wins 2026 NAB Show Product of the Year Award Shotoku Broadcast Systems announced today that its Swoop range of robotic cranes has be...

05/05/2026

DigitalGlues creativespace Intelligence Wins Futures Best...

DigitalGlue's creative.space Intelligence Wins Future's Best of Show Award, Presented by TV Tech creative.space Intelligence (CSI), part of the creativ...

05/05/2026

Zixi Showcases Next-Generation Live Video Workflows and M...

Zixi, a leader in live video delivery and workflow orchestration, will showcase next-generation broadcast workflows at the Media Production and Technology Show ...

05/05/2026

Stingr marks its launch with a new approach to second-screen interactivity

Stingr marks its launch with a new approach to second-screen interactivity Brie Clayton May 5, 2026 0 Comments Huge leap forward in revenues and engag...

05/05/2026

Shotoku Broadcast Systems Wins 2026 NAB Show Product of the Year Award

Shotoku Broadcast Systems Wins 2026 NAB Show Product of the Year Award Brie Clayton May 5, 2026 0 Comments Shotoku Broadcast Systems announced today tha...

05/05/2026

DHD to Promote Latest Advances in Audio Production at MPT...

Following a successful NAB Show in Las Vegas, DHD will promote examples from its wide range of broadcast-quality audio production equipment at the May 13th-14th...

05/05/2026

LucidLink Redefines Cloud Media Workflows at MPTS 2026

LucidLink today announced its programme for MPTS 2026, where it will exhibit at Stand M59 at Olympia London, 13 to 14 May. The company will showcase its latest ...

05/05/2026

Limecraft Announces Version 2026-3 of its Cloud-Based Tel...

Limecraft today announces the release of Limecraft 2026.3, the third platform update in its 2026 release cycle. Limecraft is an AI-powered production platform t...

05/05/2026

Stingr marks its launch with a new approach to second-scr...

Huge leap forward in revenues and engagement...

05/05/2026

Broadcast Solutions strengthens CTO Office for technical...

Broadcast Solutions, a leading system integrator and provider of innovative solutions for the broadcast media industry, has taken another significant step in st...

05/05/2026

Operative Appoints Dang Ly as Chief Product Officer to Ac...

Operative today announced the appointment of Dang Ly as Chief Product Officer, signaling the company's accelerating commitment to delivering the next genera...

05/05/2026

World Skills Cafe Returns to IBC2026

The Media Talent Manifesto (MTM) today announces the return of the World Skills Caf at IBC2026, positioning the event as a critical industry forum to confront ...

05/05/2026

ARRI unveils Omnibar: compact, modular, battery-powered IP65 LED bars with precise pixel control

ARRI unveils Omnibar: compact, modular, battery-powered IP65 LED bars with preci...

05/05/2026

NBC Sports' NBA Playoff Viewership Up 58%

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

05/05/2026

U.S. Court Upholds Some Patents in LG ATSC 3.0 Infringement Case

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

05/05/2026

Gray Media and Allen Media Group Close Station Transactions

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

05/05/2026

Digital Domain Welcomes Award-Nominated VFX Supervisor Jelmer Boskma

Digital Domain Welcomes Award-Nominated VFX Supervisor Jelmer Boskma Brie Clayton May 4, 2026 0 Comments Digital Domain, a global leader in visual eff...

05/05/2026

FOX Sports, FOX One and Indeed Launch Nationwide Search for FOX One Chief World Cup Watcher Hired Through Indeed

FOX Sports, FOX One and Indeed Launch Nationwide Search for FOX One Chief World...

05/05/2026

Nippon TV and FOR-A Win Dual Awards for viztrick AiDi: NAB's Product of the Year and Future's Best of Show

GoVertical! Technology Recognized for Ability to Provide Real-Time 9:16 Autocrop...

04/05/2026

just:play pro 2026 and just:live pro 2026 are available to download!

just:play pro 2026 and just:live pro 2026 are available to download! More Details:At NAB 2026, ToolsOnAir showcased just:play pro 2026 and just:live pro 2026, ...

04/05/2026

just:in mac pro 2026 - The Next Level of Professional Recording on macOS

just:in mac pro 2026 - The Next Level of Professional Recording on macOS More Details:The headline innovation in just:in mac pro 2026 is the new Auto format si...

04/05/2026

SVG Sit-Down: NEP Americas Mike Werteen on How Great Tech, Better People Drive Success

Hardware is still an emphasis - Supershooter 11 is new, and REMI-based 65 is in ...

04/05/2026

Beyond 90 Minutes: How K League's Soccer Blueprint for Growth Has Lessons for Everyone

Head of International Business Development Min Joo Kim explores the league's...

04/05/2026

Audio-Technica ATND1061 and ATUC Discussion Systems Certified for Crestron Automate VX

Audio-Technica has announced that its ATND1061 ceiling array microphone and ATUC...

04/05/2026

Triple B Media Launches Bowling TV, a 24/7 FAST Channel Dedicated to Bowling

Triple B Media has launched Bowling TV, a free ad-supported television (FAST) channel dedicated to bowling. The channel is available on Prime Video, LG Channels...

04/05/2026

PlayMetrics Acquires SportsEngine from Versant

PlayMetrics, a provider of operations management software for youth sports organizations, has announced the completion of its acquisition of substantially all t...

04/05/2026

IHSE GmbH Appoints Dr. Thomas Niessen as CEO

IHSE GmbH has announced that Dr. Thomas Niessen has joined as CEO and Managing Director, effective May 1, 2026. He joins Frank Breitenfelder, who has served as ...

04/05/2026

PMY Group Deploys Optic Crowd Intelligence Platform at Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix

PMY Group deployed its AI-powered crowd intelligence platform, Optic, at the For...

04/05/2026

Behind The Mic: Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless to Reunite for First Take Episode; Donna Brothers Worked Final Kentucky Derby

Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, includ...

04/05/2026

Spotify Brings Fashion and Podcasting Together With Mina Le and Mia Calabrese

Last week, guests gathered in New York City for On Air, In Style: An Evening with Spotify-a night of conversation, culture, and connection celebrating the inter...

04/05/2026

Avid introduce Pro Tools 2026.4

New music & post-production features added Avid's latest DAW update delivers an array of helpful features aimed at both music and post-production users,...

04/05/2026

SAG-AFTRA, Studios Reach Tentative Agreement

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

04/05/2026

Study: Paramount-WBD Deal Signals New Era of Streaming Scale

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

04/05/2026

Student Spotlight: Joshua Griffin

Student Spotlight: Joshua Griffin The New Orleans native, who was named the 2026 student commencement speaker for Boston Conservatory at Berklee, talks about ...

04/05/2026

It's Andrew! stomps onto screens this June

It's Andrew! stomps onto screens this June 4 May 2026 The ABC and Screen Australia are delighted to announce that brand new preschool series, It's Andr...

03/05/2026

Melbourne Instruments' Nina gains Braids engine

Polysynth now features Mutable Instruments' macro oscillators Melbourne Instruments have just released a free firmware update that brings the engine beh...

03/05/2026

Introducing the new Mistika Workflows Suite: transformative and cost-effective for every user

Introducing the new Mistika Workflows Suite: transformative and cost-effective f...

03/05/2026

Introducing the new Mistake Workflows Suite: transformative and cost-effective for every user

Introducing the new Mistake Workflows Suite: transformative and cost-effective f...

03/05/2026

Filming begins on the third and final season of Breathless

Back to All News Filming begins on the third and final season of Breathless Entertainment 03 May 2026 GlobalSpain Link copied to clipboard Discover the vi...