Born in County Tyrone in Northern Ireland in 1929, Friel won
three Tony Awards in 1992 for "Dancing at Lughnasa" a play about
five maiden aunts in Ireland in the 1930s. It was turned into a
film starring Meryl Streep in 1998.
Friel died at his home in Donegal, state broadcaster RTE
reported.
Prime Minister Enda Kenny said in a statement: "The nation and
the world have lost one of the giants of theater.
"His mythical stories from Ballybeg reached all corners of the
world from Dublin to London to Broadway and onto the silver
screen," Kenny said, referring to fictional town where Friel set
many of his works.
"All of his plays, including 'Translations', 'Faith Healer',
'Philadelphia, Here I Come!' and 'Dancing at Lughnasa', will
forever form part of the canon of greatness in dramatic
writing," Kenny said.
(Reporting by Conor Humphries; Editing by Michael Roddy and
Angus MacSwan)
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