- Attended St. Columb's Roman Catholic College in Londonderry.
- Won Broadway's 1992 Tony Award as author of Best Play winner "Dancing at Lughnasa." Previously, he had twice been nominated as author of a Best Play nominee: in 1966 for "Philadlephia, Here I Come!" and in 1969 for "Lovers."
- He was awarded the Laurence Olivier BBC Award for Best Play in 1991 (1990 season) for "Dancing at Lughnasa" at the Royal National Theatre.
- His version of Anton Chekhov's "Uncle Vanya", performed at the Donmar Warehouse, was awarded the 2003 Laurence Olivier Theatre Award for Best Revival of 2002.
- Biography/bibliography in: "Contemporary Authors". New Revision Series, Vol. 131, pages 162-168. Farmington Hills, MI: Thomson Gale, 2005.
- In 1980, he co-founded the Field Day Theatre Company with actor Stephen Rea. It was a traveling theater company that took the world of drama to people who might otherwise never have seen it.
- His father was a teacher; his grandparents could neither read nor write.
- He was born in County Tyrone, Ireland. His family moved to Londonderry, Northern Ireland, when he was 10.
- In 1982, he was elected to Aosdana, the Irish association to honor artists who have made an outstanding contribution to the arts in Ireland. He served in the Irish senate from 1987 to 1989.
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