Benedict Kiely
Encyclopedia
Benedict "Ben" Kiely was an Irish author and broadcaster from Omagh
, County Tyrone
, Ireland
.
, County Tyrone
to Thomas John and Sara Alice (née Gormley) Kiely. He was the youngest of six children, the others were Rita, Gerald, Eileen, Kathleen and Macartan; four of these predeceased him. His sister Kathleen (mother of Omagh country singer Brian Coll) survived him and at the age of 94 attended his funeral in Dublin but died herself six months later.
Kiely's father, Tom, a native of Moville
, County Donegal
, was a Boer War
veteran. When he was only eighteen, he joined the Leinster Regiment. Over the next five or so years, he travelled over Ireland and abroad, including the Caribbean, and finally, to South Africa
. He was decorated for heroism, for his actions in the Boer War (during which time he had met with General Christiaan De Wet). Sometime after having returned to Ireland, Tom took up employment with the Ordnance Survey
as a survey measurer (or "chain man"--so called because a chain was used to do the measuring).
Three years later, Tom happened to be in Doyle's Hotel in Drumquin
, and that was where he met a young barmaid by the name of Sara Alice Gormley, who came from the townland of Claraghmore, near Drumquin. (In Claramore there were so many families with the surname Gormley that each one used their own nickname to distinguish one from the other.)
In the spring of 1920, Tom and Sara Alice Kiely, and their six children, moved from James Campbell's farm in Dromore to Omagh, where Tom took up the position as the porter in the newly-opened Munster and Leinster Bank. After living for a short time in Castle Street and Drumragh, the family finally settled in St Patrick's Terrace in the Gallows Hill area of Omagh. This area was to be a lasting inspiration for Ben.
, H. G. Wells
and Jonathan Swift
. In 1936, after completing his education at Mount St Columba Christian Brothers
School in Omagh, Ben went to work as a sorting clerk in Omagh Post Office, where his brother-in-law Frank McCrory was working
(Frank was the husband of Ben's sister Eileen).
However, he soon realised that the post office would not provide him with the life of the scholar which he so desired. So, in the spring of 1937, he left Omagh and began a new life in Emo Park
, Portarlington, Co. Laois
, where he decided he would train as a Jesuit priest.
, Dublin. During his hospitalisation, Ben was given plenty of time to think about the course his life had already taken, and about a course it might take. He also realised that he lacked a vocation to the priesthood and abandoned his training as a Jesuit.
in Dublin. The following year, he began working as a part-time journalist in The Weekly Standard
newspaper (which was then edited by Peter Curry).
In 1943, Benedict Kiely graduated from National University with a B.A. in History and Letters.
, where he was employed as a journalist and critic. In 1950, now a father of four, he joined the Irish Press as a literary editor.
In 1964, Ben moved to America
, where he was a Writer-in-Residence at Emory University
, visiting professor at the University of Oregon, and Writer-in-Residence at Hollins College (Virginia). He spent four years in those three different places. In 1968, he returned to Ireland after having spent four years in America. In the spring of 1976, he was Distinguished Visiting Professor at the University of Delaware.
He continued to receive acclaim for his writing and journalism (a career which spans over six decades) receiving the Award for Literature from the Irish Academy of Letters. By now, he was one of Ireland's best known writers. In 1996, he was named Saoi
of Aosdána
, the highest honour given by the Arts Council of Ireland
.
The person who may have inspired Benedict Kiely to write novels and short stories was his father, Tom Kiely, who used to tell stories about people, places and events from his younger days.
In September every year in Omagh, an event called The Benedict Kiely Literary Weekend is held to celebrate the author's many achievements.
In 2005, Ben married his partner of over 40 year, Frances Daly.
s at Omagh Town Hall. Frank's wife Eileen was Benedict Kiely's sister. Drumquin
is often mentioned in his novels and stories because that's where he had maternal family connections. His mother, Sarah Alice Kiely (née Gormley) was from Claramore, a townland near Drumquin. He was a distant relation (through his mother) of the Gormley family who owned Gormley's pub in Castle Street in Omagh, uncle of Omagh-born musician Brian Coll, great-uncle of writer Sharon Owens, and is mentioned in Frank McCourt
's book 'Tis
.
According to RTÉ
News, Ben died in St Vincent's Hospital
in Dublin on February 9, 2007, aged 87. The twice-married author and father of four (who had been living out of Omagh for 69 years) was survived by his second wife Frances, his daughters Anne Kiely and Emer Cronin, son John Kiely, and a large extended family. He was predeceased by his first wife and a daughter, Mary.
Omagh
Omagh is the county town of County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is situated where the rivers Drumragh and Camowen meet to form the Strule. The town, which is the largest in the county, had a population of 19,910 at the 2001 Census. Omagh also contains the headquarters of Omagh District Council and...
, County Tyrone
County Tyrone
Historically Tyrone stretched as far north as Lough Foyle, and comprised part of modern day County Londonderry east of the River Foyle. The majority of County Londonderry was carved out of Tyrone between 1610-1620 when that land went to the Guilds of London to set up profit making schemes based on...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
.
Early life
Benedict Kiely was born in DromoreDromore, County Tyrone
Dromore is a village in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is situated nine miles south west of Omagh on the A32 road and sixteen miles from Enniskillen. The town had a population of 1,101 in the 2001 Census. Agriculture and the building trades are the primary sources of employment in the town...
, County Tyrone
County Tyrone
Historically Tyrone stretched as far north as Lough Foyle, and comprised part of modern day County Londonderry east of the River Foyle. The majority of County Londonderry was carved out of Tyrone between 1610-1620 when that land went to the Guilds of London to set up profit making schemes based on...
to Thomas John and Sara Alice (née Gormley) Kiely. He was the youngest of six children, the others were Rita, Gerald, Eileen, Kathleen and Macartan; four of these predeceased him. His sister Kathleen (mother of Omagh country singer Brian Coll) survived him and at the age of 94 attended his funeral in Dublin but died herself six months later.
Kiely's father, Tom, a native of Moville
Moville
Moville is a town and coastal resort on the Inishowen Peninsula of County Donegal, close to the northern tip of Ireland.-Location:...
, County Donegal
County Donegal
County Donegal is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Donegal. Donegal County Council is the local authority for the county...
, was a Boer War
Boer War
The Boer Wars were two wars fought between the British Empire and the two independent Boer republics, the Oranje Vrijstaat and the Republiek van Transvaal ....
veteran. When he was only eighteen, he joined the Leinster Regiment. Over the next five or so years, he travelled over Ireland and abroad, including the Caribbean, and finally, to South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. He was decorated for heroism, for his actions in the Boer War (during which time he had met with General Christiaan De Wet). Sometime after having returned to Ireland, Tom took up employment with the Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey , an executive agency and non-ministerial government department of the Government of the United Kingdom, is the national mapping agency for Great Britain, producing maps of Great Britain , and one of the world's largest producers of maps.The name reflects its creation together with...
as a survey measurer (or "chain man"--so called because a chain was used to do the measuring).
Three years later, Tom happened to be in Doyle's Hotel in Drumquin
Drumquin
Drumquin is a small village and townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It lies between Omagh and Castlederg, on the banks of the Drumquin River...
, and that was where he met a young barmaid by the name of Sara Alice Gormley, who came from the townland of Claraghmore, near Drumquin. (In Claramore there were so many families with the surname Gormley that each one used their own nickname to distinguish one from the other.)
In the spring of 1920, Tom and Sara Alice Kiely, and their six children, moved from James Campbell's farm in Dromore to Omagh, where Tom took up the position as the porter in the newly-opened Munster and Leinster Bank. After living for a short time in Castle Street and Drumragh, the family finally settled in St Patrick's Terrace in the Gallows Hill area of Omagh. This area was to be a lasting inspiration for Ben.
Teenage years
Whilst he was a teenager, Ben began to feel the urge to become a writer. He had a keen interest in the work of George Bernard ShawGeorge Bernard Shaw
George Bernard Shaw was an Irish playwright and a co-founder of the London School of Economics. Although his first profitable writing was music and literary criticism, in which capacity he wrote many highly articulate pieces of journalism, his main talent was for drama, and he wrote more than 60...
, H. G. Wells
H. G. Wells
Herbert George Wells was an English author, now best known for his work in the science fiction genre. He was also a prolific writer in many other genres, including contemporary novels, history, politics and social commentary, even writing text books and rules for war games...
and Jonathan Swift
Jonathan Swift
Jonathan Swift was an Irish satirist, essayist, political pamphleteer , poet and cleric who became Dean of St...
. In 1936, after completing his education at Mount St Columba Christian Brothers
Christian Brothers
Christian Brothers may refer to:* Congregation of Christian Brothers, a Catholic lay order founded at Waterford, Ireland in 1802 by the Blessed Edmund Ignatius Rice...
School in Omagh, Ben went to work as a sorting clerk in Omagh Post Office, where his brother-in-law Frank McCrory was working
(Frank was the husband of Ben's sister Eileen).
However, he soon realised that the post office would not provide him with the life of the scholar which he so desired. So, in the spring of 1937, he left Omagh and began a new life in Emo Park
Emo, County Laois
Emo is a village in County Laois, Ireland. It is located near Portlaoise on the R422 regional road just off the M7 Dublin–Limerick motorway.The late 18th century village of Emo originally sprang up around the gates of Emo Court...
, Portarlington, Co. Laois
County Laois
County Laois is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Midlands Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It was formerly known as Queen's County until the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922. The county's name was formerly spelt as Laoighis and Leix. Laois County Council...
, where he decided he would train as a Jesuit priest.
Life in Counties Laois and Dublin
His life as a Jesuit was not meant to be for, exactly a year later, in the spring of 1938, Ben suffered a serious spinal injury, which resulted in a lengthy stay in Cappagh Hospital in FinglasFinglas
-See also:* List of towns and villages in Ireland* List of abbeys and priories in Ireland...
, Dublin. During his hospitalisation, Ben was given plenty of time to think about the course his life had already taken, and about a course it might take. He also realised that he lacked a vocation to the priesthood and abandoned his training as a Jesuit.
Part-time journalist
When he got out of hospital in 1939, Kiely returned to Omagh to recover from his back problem. It was here where he waited for the beginning of term at University CollegeUniversity College Dublin
University College Dublin ) - formally known as University College Dublin - National University of Ireland, Dublin is the Republic of Ireland's largest, and Ireland's second largest, university, with over 1,300 faculty and 17,000 students...
in Dublin. The following year, he began working as a part-time journalist in The Weekly Standard
The Weekly Standard
The Weekly Standard is an American neoconservative opinion magazine published 48 times per year. Its founding publisher, News Corporation, debuted the title September 18, 1995. Currently edited by founder William Kristol and Fred Barnes, the Standard has been described as a "redoubt of...
newspaper (which was then edited by Peter Curry).
In 1943, Benedict Kiely graduated from National University with a B.A. in History and Letters.
First marriage
On July 5, 1944, Ben married Maureen O'Connell. This marriage produced four children:- Mary Patricia Kiely (1945–1945)
- Anne Kiely (born: 1946)
- John Kiely (born: 1948)
- Emer Kiely (born: 1949)
Career
In 1945, Ben began working for the Irish IndependentIrish Independent
The Irish Independent is Ireland's largest-selling daily newspaper that is published in both compact and broadsheet formats. It is the flagship publication of Independent News & Media.-History:...
, where he was employed as a journalist and critic. In 1950, now a father of four, he joined the Irish Press as a literary editor.
In 1964, Ben moved to America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, where he was a Writer-in-Residence at Emory University
Emory University
Emory University is a private research university in metropolitan Atlanta, located in the Druid Hills section of unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The university was founded as Emory College in 1836 in Oxford, Georgia by a small group of Methodists and was named in honor of...
, visiting professor at the University of Oregon, and Writer-in-Residence at Hollins College (Virginia). He spent four years in those three different places. In 1968, he returned to Ireland after having spent four years in America. In the spring of 1976, he was Distinguished Visiting Professor at the University of Delaware.
He continued to receive acclaim for his writing and journalism (a career which spans over six decades) receiving the Award for Literature from the Irish Academy of Letters. By now, he was one of Ireland's best known writers. In 1996, he was named Saoi
Saoi
Saoi , is the highest honour that members of Aosdána, an association of people in Ireland who have achieved distinction in the arts, can bestow upon a fellow member...
of Aosdána
Aosdána
Aosdána is an Irish association of Artists. It was created in 1981 on the initiative of a group of writers and with support from the Arts Council of Ireland. Membership, which is by invitation from current members, is limited to 250 individuals; before 2005 it was limited to 200...
, the highest honour given by the Arts Council of Ireland
Arts Council of Ireland
The Arts Council of Ireland was founded in 1951 by the Government of Ireland to encourage interest in Irish art and channel to funding from the state to Irish artists and arts organisations...
.
The person who may have inspired Benedict Kiely to write novels and short stories was his father, Tom Kiely, who used to tell stories about people, places and events from his younger days.
Later years
Ben visited Omagh in 2001. This was marked by the unveiling of a plaque outside his childhood home on Gallows Hill by Omagh's Plain Speaking Community Arts group. In an interview at that time, when asked about censorship, Ben remarked with a typical quip: "If you weren't banned, it meant you were no bloody good."In September every year in Omagh, an event called The Benedict Kiely Literary Weekend is held to celebrate the author's many achievements.
In 2005, Ben married his partner of over 40 year, Frances Daly.
Family
A well-known brother-in-law was Frank McCrory who worked for many years as a playwright/ songwriter of pantomimePantomime
Pantomime — not to be confused with a mime artist, a theatrical performer of mime—is a musical-comedy theatrical production traditionally found in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Jamaica, South Africa, India, Ireland, Gibraltar and Malta, and is mostly performed during the...
s at Omagh Town Hall. Frank's wife Eileen was Benedict Kiely's sister. Drumquin
Drumquin
Drumquin is a small village and townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It lies between Omagh and Castlederg, on the banks of the Drumquin River...
is often mentioned in his novels and stories because that's where he had maternal family connections. His mother, Sarah Alice Kiely (née Gormley) was from Claramore, a townland near Drumquin. He was a distant relation (through his mother) of the Gormley family who owned Gormley's pub in Castle Street in Omagh, uncle of Omagh-born musician Brian Coll, great-uncle of writer Sharon Owens, and is mentioned in Frank McCourt
Frank McCourt
Francis "Frank" McCourt was an Irish-American teacher and Pulitzer Prize–winning writer, best known as the author of Angela’s Ashes, an award-winning, tragicomic memoir of the misery and squalor of his childhood....
's book 'Tis
'Tis
'Tis is a memoir written by Frank McCourt. Published in 1999, it begins where McCourt ended Angela's Ashes, his Pulitzer Prize winning memoir of his impoverished childhood in Ireland and his return to America.-Synopsis:...
.
According to RTÉ
Raidió Teilifís Éireann
Raidió Teilifís Éireann is a semi-state company and the public service broadcaster of Ireland. It both produces programmes and broadcasts them on television, radio and the Internet. The radio service began on January 1, 1926, while regular television broadcasts began on December 31, 1961, making...
News, Ben died in St Vincent's Hospital
St. Vincent's University Hospital
St. Vincent's Hospital is a teaching hospital located at Elm Park, south of the city of Dublin, Ireland. It is at the junction of Merrion Road and Nutley Lane opposite the Merrion Centre and adjacent to Elm Park Golf Club.-History:St. Vincent's Hospital was founded in 1834 on St...
in Dublin on February 9, 2007, aged 87. The twice-married author and father of four (who had been living out of Omagh for 69 years) was survived by his second wife Frances, his daughters Anne Kiely and Emer Cronin, son John Kiely, and a large extended family. He was predeceased by his first wife and a daughter, Mary.
Short stories
- The Collected Stories of Benedict Kiely (2001)
- The Trout in the Turnhole (1996)
- A Letter to Peachtree (1987)
- The State of Ireland: A Novella and Seven Short Stories (1981)
- A Cow in the House (1978)
- A Ball of Malt and Madame Butterfly (1973)
- A Journey to the Seven Streams (1963)
Novels
- Benedict Kiely, A Raid into Dark Corners and Other Essays (1999)
- Nothing Happens in Carmincross (1985)
- All the Way to Bantry Bay and Other Irish Journeys (1978)
- Proxopera: A Tale of Modern Ireland (1977)
- Dogs Enjoy the Morning (1968)
- The Captain with the Whiskers (1960)
- There Was an Ancient House (1955)
- The Cards of the Gambler (1953)
- Honey Seems Bitter (1952)
- Modern Irish Fiction: A Critique (1950)
- In a Harbour Green (1949)
- Call for a Miracle (1948)
- Poor Scholar (1947)
- Land Without Stars (1946)
- Countries of Contention (1945)
Autobiography
- Drink to the Bird: An Omagh Boyhood (1992)
- The Waves Behind Us: A Memoir (1999)
Television and radio broadcasts
- Jungle of Pembroke Road (TV) (1974) - Himself
- Humours of Donnybrook (TV) (1979) - Himself
- Irish Angle - Hands: Fermanagh County (TV) (1981) - Script writer
- Irish Angle - Hands: Curraghs (TV) (1985) - Narrator
- Wordweaver - The Legend of Benedict Kiely (TV) (2005) - Himself
- Sunday Miscellany (an RTE1 radio programme broadcast each Sunday between 9.00 and 10.00 am) - contributor of short talks mostly on literature or other Irish topics