Ten years after his death, John Broderick is to be honoured in his home town of Athlone. Broderick was a local writer who achieved worldwide recognition. A commemorative weekend to mark the 10th anniversary of his death on May 28th, 1989, has been organised by the local Rotary Club.
A host of activities will be held from May 28th-30th in the town, including a seminar on his work which will be opened by the Minister for Public Enterprise, Ms O'Rourke. Athlone's newest street, between Irishtown and the Golden Island Shopping Centre, will be named John Broderick Street, in honour of the writer, book reviewer and broadcaster.
According to George Eaton, immediate past president of the Rotary Club and chairman of the John Broderick committee, Athlone Urban District Council will be the first local authority in Ireland to name a street after a 20th-century writer.
"In honour of this notable man, we are delighted to honour one of Athlone's and Ireland's eminent writers through a commemorative weekend which should help create a greater understanding of the man and his works," said Mr Eaton.
"Athlone is proud to celebrate Broderick's life and works and, indeed, Athlone was the setting for some of his most famous novels including The Fugitives, The Pilgrimage, An Apology for Roses and The Flood," he said.
Mr Eaton said that Broderick shared his life with very few people but was always very proud of his home town.
John Broderick was born in Connaught Street, Athlone, in 1924, the only son of a wealthy family which ran a bakery in Athlone. His father died when he was three years old. As a young man he lived in Paris for some years but returned to live in Athlone, spending the last eight years of his life in England, where he died.
He had 12 novels published in London, the best known being The Pilgrimage, which was banned by the Censorship of Publications Board because it featured extra-marital sex.
His bestseller was An Apology for Roses. He also wrote the internationally renowned The Trial of Fr Dillingham, which was originally published in French in 1974 as Cite Pleine de Reves. He was elected to the Irish Academy of Letters in 1968 and was the winner of its Award for Literature in 1975.