Brian Friel (1929 – 2015) is one of Ireland’s greatest ever playwrights. Over a career of more than fifty years, he published 24 plays including Faith Healer, Translations and Dancing at Lughnasa, all of which are now defining documents of Irish literature. Globally, he is one of the most beloved and frequently performed dramatists of the 20th century. Friel was also an acclaimed short story writer, publishing two renowned collections in his lifetime. He died in 2015 at home in Donegal.