John Brendan Keane (1928 –2002) was an Irish playwright, novelist and essayist from Listowel, County Kerry. Keane was an Honorary Life Member of the Royal Dublin Society from 1991, served as president of Irish PEN and was a founder member of the Society of Irish Playwrights and a member of Aosdána. He remained a prominent member of the Fine Gael party throughout his life, never being shy of political debate. In his life John B. Keane published 46 works including: The Field, Sive, Big Maggie, The Highest House on the Mountain, Many Young Men of Twenty, Matchmaker, The Man From Clare, The Buds Of Ballybunion, The Change In Mame Fadden, Sharon's Grave among others.