DUBLIN (AFP) — Irish playwright Hugh Leonard, whose work notably won plaudits on Broadway, has died aged 82, the government said Thursday.
Hugh Leonard was the pseudonym of Dublin-born John Keyes Byrne whose extensive output as a writer and journalist included plays like "Da," "The Patrick Pearse Motel" and "A Leap in the Dark."
His work also included a best-selling novel, "Parnell and the Englishwoman," television adaptations, two volumes of autobiography, criticism and journalism.
His play "Da" ran for nearly two years on Broadway and earned Leonard a Tony Award in 1977. It was later turned into a film starring Martin Sheen.
President Mary McAleese said he was one of Ireland's most gifted writers and thinkers and a fascinating man.
"As a playwright, journalist and radio contributor, Hugh infused his work with a unique wit, all the while demonstrating a great intuition, perceptiveness and forgiveness of human nature."
Prime Minister Brian Cowen described him as "a great literary figure" of modern Ireland.
"He was one of this country's most distinguished playwrights as well as being a journalist of distinction.
"In his plays, Hugh was often provocative and he was never afraid to challenge the orthodoxies of the day. He was also a versatile writer with a great sense of history," Cowen said.
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