Hugh Leonard (9 November 1926 â€" 12 February 2009) was an Irish
dramatist, television writer and essayist. In a career that spanned 50
years, Leonard wrote nearly 30 full-length plays, 10 one-act plays,
three volumes of essays, two autobiographies, three novels, numerous
screenplays and teleplays, and a regular newspaper column.Leonard was
born in Dublin John Joseph Byrne, but was put up for adoption. Raised
in Dalkey, a suburb of Dublin, by Nicholas and Margaret Keyes, he
changed his name to John Keyes Byrne.[1][2] For the rest of his life,
despite the pen name of "Hugh Leonard" which he later adopted and
became well known by, he invited close friends to call him
"Jack".[3]Leonard was educated at the Harold Boys' National School,
Dalkey, and Presentation College, Glasthule, winning a scholarship to
the latter.[1][4] He worked as a civil servant, for 14 years. During
that time he both acted in and wrote plays for community theatre
groups.[1][2][4] His first play to be professionally produced was The
Big Birthday, which was mounted by the Abbey Theatre in Dublin in
1956, his career with the Abbey Theatre[5] continued until 1994. After
that his plays were produced regularly by Dublin's theatres.[2]
dramatist, television writer and essayist. In a career that spanned 50
years, Leonard wrote nearly 30 full-length plays, 10 one-act plays,
three volumes of essays, two autobiographies, three novels, numerous
screenplays and teleplays, and a regular newspaper column.Leonard was
born in Dublin John Joseph Byrne, but was put up for adoption. Raised
in Dalkey, a suburb of Dublin, by Nicholas and Margaret Keyes, he
changed his name to John Keyes Byrne.[1][2] For the rest of his life,
despite the pen name of "Hugh Leonard" which he later adopted and
became well known by, he invited close friends to call him
"Jack".[3]Leonard was educated at the Harold Boys' National School,
Dalkey, and Presentation College, Glasthule, winning a scholarship to
the latter.[1][4] He worked as a civil servant, for 14 years. During
that time he both acted in and wrote plays for community theatre
groups.[1][2][4] His first play to be professionally produced was The
Big Birthday, which was mounted by the Abbey Theatre in Dublin in
1956, his career with the Abbey Theatre[5] continued until 1994. After
that his plays were produced regularly by Dublin's theatres.[2]
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