Billy Roche

Billy Roche was born in Wexford in 1949. He worked as an actor and a singer before turning to writing in the 1980s. His much acclaimed Wexford Trilogy, winner of numerous awards in Ireland and Britain, comprises A Handful of Stars (1988), Poor Beast in the Rain (1989) and Belfry (1990). Set in a snooker club, a betting shop and a local church, each play introduces a mix of young cornerboys, old cowboys and chancers of any age in a lyrical, poignant and often hilarious account of lost dreams and thwarted ambitions. Roche is also the author of a novel, Tumbling Down (1986) and of the short story collection Tales From Rainwater Pond (2006). He also writes screenplays. Billy Roche was elected a member of Aosdána in 2007. He lives in Wexford.