Born John Casey in Dublin in 1880, Seán O’Casey became one of Ireland’s most important playwrights. Drawing on his experiences of working-class life and Ireland’s turbulent struggle for independence, he wrote plays that combined humour and tragedy to portray ordinary people caught in extraordinary times. His celebrated Dublin trilogy — The Shadow of a Gunman, Juno and the Paycock, and The Plough and the Stars — brought international attention to the lives of Dublin’s poor and sparked controversy for its unromantic portrayal of revolutionary Ireland. Though he spent his later life in England, O’Casey continued to write about the people and streets of Dublin that shaped him. His work remains a powerful part of Ireland’s theatrical heritage.