KEANE, John B. Sive. A Play in Three Acts. (Signed first edition)

With a foreword by Micheál Ó hAodha. Dublin: Progress House, 1959. First edition. pp. 112. Original printed wrappers in the “Popular Plays Series” (priced 4/6 net). A very good copy.

Inscribed by the author on the half-title: “To Paulinus with affection / from / John B. Keane.”

The rare first edition of John B. Keane’s first play, and one of the most important debuts in modern Irish theatre. Sive was first performed in Listowel in February 1959, amid controversy and clerical opposition, but went on to win the All-Ireland Drama Festival later that year, establishing Keane’s reputation overnight.

Set in rural Kerry, the play portrays the tragic story of an orphan girl coerced into a marriage with an elderly suitor, exposing themes of poverty, greed, and social cruelty. Its impact was immediate and enduring, and Sive remains a cornerstone of the modern Irish stage, frequently revived at the Abbey Theatre and in amateur productions nationwide.

This copy, warmly inscribed, is of particular interest: association copies of Sive are of exceptional rarity, as most surviving examples are heavily used acting editions. The inclusion of the musical score transcribed by Oonagh Cannon further reflects Keane’s rootedness in the community drama tradition.

A landmark in 20th-century Irish drama. Rare inscribed first edition.

[L3 8D]