The writings of Benedict Kiely, from his first novel to the latest novels and short stories, often take their inspiration from contemporary events--autobiographical events or the important political, historical, religious, and literary issues of Ireland--and juxtapose the past and the present through use of history and literature. The settings are more frequently Northern Ireland than the Irish Republic, though many works contain easy transition--political and idealistic--for the protagonist between those parts of Kiely's divided island; at times, the works contain an indistinguishable mixture of topography. His characters are frequently journalists, priests, literary connoisseurs, travelers, and hospital patients who, along with his careful description of the Irish scenery, convey Kiely's profound identification with and appreciation of his native land.

Benedict Kiely, born 15 August 1919 at Dromore in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, grew up in nearby Omagh, where he graduated from the Christian Brothers School. In Omagh the dominating presence of...