A quick take on P.J. Brady

by Suzan Abrams in Dublin

Last night I met the Irish actor P.J. Brady (pictured right) who is a friend of D's, over dinner. It was fabulous talking to Brady who has performed the life and works of the late famed Irish poet, Patrick Kavanagh, (see smaller picture), on stage for 25 years.
Brady is now writing his novel where he works "very well at nights" and considering his dream of building a library in his home, where "thankfully, the bookshelves have at last just arrived." The distinguished bearded actor observes that on overcoming ill-health and a 10-year old trying experience, that at 50, the world of books now await him like no other, that he finally has "all the time in the world to read."
Our conversation lasted hours.
We applauded books, poetry, the theatre and writing. Spritually, I thought my dialogues with Brady & D to be idyllic and with a glass of Californian Shiraz in my hand, felt properly contented. Brady is summoning up his own poems for a collection and explained to me the need to write and record his memoirs - loosely disguised in parts as fiction - and also mused over his extraordinary life on stage and the colourful experiences that had blanketed his years while playing Kavanagh. I asked him in detail, about the writing process and the fact that he was willing to engage in such a fine discourse on the novel, made me feel that I was immersed in an intellectually-stimulating cafe-culture intimacy. With keen eagerness, I have happily refused persuasions on dullness everytime and succeeded.

Photograph Credit: Famous Poets & Poetry