Brian Behan

Who was Brian Behan?

Brian Behan was an Irish writer, public speaker and trade unionist.

Behan was born in Dublin, the son of Stephen Behan, younger brother of Brendan Behan and older brother of Dominic Behan. After being caught stealing money from the gas meter of a neighbor, he was sent to what was effectively a penal institution, the Artane Industrial School, which could be described as a reformatory. Brian later claimed he was systematically abused at Artane; investigations into the school later found widespread instances of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. Brian applied for and was posthumously awarded damages for the abuse - though he never fully recovered and would never return permanently to Ireland after leaving, such as was the case with many victims of similar mistreatment.

After Behan was released from Artane School he joined the Irish Army's construction corps.

In 1950 Behan moved to London to work as a labourer. Having long considered himself an anarcho-syndicalist, he became a prominent trade union activist and was imprisoned in Brixton Prison for leading a go-slow on the Festival of Britain construction site.