Brian Friel and the Conflict in Northern Ireland: How the Troubles Have Shaped the Playwright and Informed his Plays

In lieu of an abstract, below is the article\u27s first paragraph. A conflict exists between the countries of Ireland and England stretching back over 800 years. Colonial in nature, the conflict has assumed many faces throughout its history. Evidence of its existence today is most noticeable in the situation in Northern Ireland, a situation euphemistically referred to as the Troubles. The Irish people have been shaped by this conflict and Irish writers have often embraced it thematically within their works. Irish playwright Brian Friel is such a writer. Friel\u27s plays frequently embody this conflict, both explicitly and implicitly