Tributes have been paid to playwright, writer and Aosdána member Thomas Kilroy who has passed away on Thursday.

One of Ireland’s most renowned playwrights, his plays include The Death and Resurrection of Mr. Roche, The O’Neill, Tea and Sex and Shakespeare, Talbot’s Box, Double Cross, The Madame MacAdam Travelling Theatre, The Secret Fall of Constance Wilde and The Shape of Metal.

He was also Professor Emeritus of Modern English at the University of Galway.  

He also wrote screenplays for television and film, and was presented with a Special Achievement Award for his contribution to theatre at the Irish Times/ ESB Theatre Awards 2004.

Paying tribute today, Chair of the Arts Council, Prof Kevin Rafter said:  

“The passing of Thomas Kilroy will be keenly felt by theatre and literature lovers worldwide.

“He was one of the foremost theatre artists this country has ever produced.  

“He was known for his searing depictions of Irish society and for revealing uncomfortable truths through luminous, beautiful writing.

“His was a very large canvas which encompassed grand historical narrative from both Ireland and overseas.

“He brought a number of figures from history such as Matt Talbot, Constance Wilde and Lord Haw Haw vividly to life in his extraordinary plays.  

“During the Covid-19 crisis I was fortunate to see his adaptation of The Seagull (after Chekhov) presented by Druid in a striking outdoor production at Coole Park in Co. Galway in 2021.”