Guide to the Brendan Behan Manuscript

MSE/IR 1071

Collection Summary

Selected Search Terms

Behan, Brendan, 1923-1964

Short stories

Administrative Information

Restrictions: There are no access restrictions on this collection

Preferred Citation: Brendan Behan Manuscript, Department of Special Collections, Hesburgh Libraries of Notre Dame.

Acquisition and Processing Note: Acquired at Mealy's Auction, December 2016. Finding aid by Aedín Clements.

Biographical Note

Brendan Behan (1923-1964) was born in Dublin and became involved in the IRA early in life, and was incarcerated in Hollesley Bay, Suffolk as a youth and later in Mountjoy Jail, Dublin for shooting at a Garda (police officer).

A housepainter by trade, Behan was a playwright, poet, balladmaker and novelist as well as being known as a popular storyteller and singer. He wrote and published in both Irish and English. Among Behan's best-known works are The Quare Fella, An Giall, The Hostage and Borstal Boy. Alcohol was a major problem in Behan's life, and this combined with diabetes brought him to an early death.

Scope and Content Note

The typescript is a complete short story with the title "A Coat for Confirmation". This appears to be an early draft of Behan's short story "The Confirmation Suit", first published in The Catholic Standard, 27 March, 1953, and later included in Behan's Brendan Behan's Island: An Irish Sketchbook (1962). Ths short story has also been published in school anthologies.

Related Material

Related material: The Liam Creagh Collection on Brendan Behan, MSE/IR 1070; The Brendan Behan Ballad Collection (in process)

Container List

• A Coat for Confirmation. ca.1953 MSE/IR 1071)
  Typescript, 10 pages.