John B. Keane, Irish playwright, poet and fiction writer (1928-2002). His first play, Sive, a rural tragedy of love and greed, was rejected by the Abbey Theatre but made a sensational impact on its first - amateur - production and has come to be seen as a classic work. Among his other notable plays are Sharon's Grave (1960), Big Maggie (1969) and The Field (1965), which was adapted to a feature film.