irish writer sean o casey 1880 1964

SEAN O CASEY (1880 - 1964)


Sean O Casey was born on 30th March 1880 at Upper Dorset Street, Dublin. He was largely self educated with a great hunger for reading. He worked as a manual labourer until 1926. He joined the Gaelic League where he learned Irish and for a time became Secretary of the Irish Citizen Army under James Connolly. Having written many plays he was encouraged by Lady Gregory to submit them to the Abbey Theatre.
It was several years before success came with the production "Shadow of a Gunman" in 1923. With "Juno and the Paycock" in 1924 and "The Plough and the Stars" in 1926, O Casey became established as a playwright.

Not alone with the success that "Juno and the Paycock" brought O Casey, it also restored the Abbey to financial stability after near bankruptcy. In 1928, O Casey submitted "The Silver Tassie" to the Abbey, which in turn rejected it as it was felt that this play was not suitable.
This came as a bitter blow to O Casey, given the fact that his previous works had saved the Abbey Theatre from near financial ruin. A London production of "The Silver Tassie" ran for two months in London, and O Casey decided to remain there. He wrote a further seven full length plays, none of which had the success or the critical acclaim as his first plays.

In 1927 he married Eileen Casey, an actress who had started her career with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company. In 1939 he published "I Knock at the Door", the first of a six-volume autobiography ending with "Sunset and Evening Star" in 1954, recreating Ireland's independence and Civil War, Abbey Theatre politics, departure for England, marriage, and life in Devon after the Second World War.

O Casey died at St. Marychurch, Torquay, Devon on 18th September 1964.