Many people will look fondly at the works of James Plunkett (born James Kelly) and especially his 1969 classic novel Strumpet City, a story set during the lock-out (between 1913 -14). It is on par with James Joyce’s Dubliners or Brendan Behan’s play The Quare Fellow as one of the greatest gifts this city offers to the arts.
Plunkett also wrote short stories and plays for radio, which he contributed to while working as the Assistant Head of Drama and Variety at Radio Éireann. By the 1960s he was a producer and director with Teilifís Éireann, later Head of Features and afterwards Head of Drama. He won two Jacob’s Awards (1965 and 1969) and was a member of Aosdana. He was also a talented musician (violin and viola) as was his late wife Valerie whom he met at Dublin Municipal School of Music.
In the 1980s a television adaptation of Strumpet City, starring Cyril Cusack and Peter O’Toole, brought viewership of RTÉ to new heights.
On a personal level he was compassionate individual and a man who enjoyed the company of workingmen and old Trade Union associates who he met occasionally for a drink at the Laurels in Perrystown.
It might be of interest to the readers to know that before moving to 25 Richmond Hill in Rathmines Plunkett had resided with his family at Bath Street which definitely qualifies him as a Ringsender. Having said that he is usually cited as coming from Sandymount.
Plunkett died in 2003 and his achievements were recently celebrated by Dublin City Council Commemorations & Naming Committee when on the 21st May 2024, on what would have been his 104th birthday, a plaque was unveiled at 26 Richmond. The occasion was made special by the attendance of local dignitaries along with family and relatives, including Mary Boland, Joe Boland, Gerry Boland, Sarah Murdoch, Mary Kelly McGetrick, Tom Lombard.
