What do you think?
Rate this book
Confessions d'un rebelle irlandais
There are no words and it would be impertinence to try. I walked down the gangway. I was free. First published after Brendan Behan's tragic death, Confessions of an Irish Rebel picks up where Borstal Boy left off.
348 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1965
23 people are currently reading
831 people want to read
About the author
Brendan Behan
73 books155 followersEarly association with the Irish republican army and experiences in prison influenced works, including
The Quare Fellow
, the play of 1954, and the autobiographical
Borstal Boy
in 1958 of Brendan Francis Behan, writer.
Brendan Francis Behan composed poetry, short stories, and novels in English. He also volunteered.
A mother in the inner city of Dublin bore Brendan Francis Behan into an educated class family. Christine English, his grandmother, owned a number of properties in the area and the house on Russell street near Mountjoy square. Peadar Kearney, his uncle and author of song and the national anthem, also lived in the area. Stephen Behan, his father, acted in the war of independence, painted houses, and read classic literature to the children at bedtime from such sources as Émile Zola, John Galsworthy, and Henri René Albert Guy de Maupassant; Kathleen Behan, his mother, took them on literary tours of the city. From father, interest of Behan in literature came; his mother originated his political ideas. She politically acted in all her life and personally befriended Michael Collins. Brendan Behan lamented "The Laughing Boy" at the age of thirteen to Collins. His mother gave the affectionate nickname, the title, to Collins. Kathleen published "Mother of all the Behans," a collaboration with Brian Behan, another son, in 1984.
Peadar Kearney, uncle of Brendan Francis Behan, composed Amhrán na bhFiann , the national anthem. People best knew "The Patriot Game," the song of Dominic Behan, his also renowned brother; Brian Behan, another sibling, a prominent radical political activist, spoke in public, acted, and authored. Brendan and Brian shared not the same views, especially when the question of politics or nationalism arose. Brendan on his deathbed presumably in jest asked Cathal Goulding, then the chief of staff, to "have that bastard Brian shot—we've had all sorts in our family, but never a traitor!"
From a drinking session, Brendan Francis Behan at the age of eight years in 1931 returned home on one day with his granny and a crony, Ulick O'Connor recounts. A passerby remarked, "Oh, my! Isn't it terrible ma'am to see such a beautiful child deformed?" "How dare you", said his granny. "He's not deformed, he's just drunk!"
Brendan Francis Behan left school at 13 years of age to follow in footsteps of his father as a house painter.
Brendan Francis Behan composed poetry, short stories, and novels in English. He also volunteered.
A mother in the inner city of Dublin bore Brendan Francis Behan into an educated class family. Christine English, his grandmother, owned a number of properties in the area and the house on Russell street near Mountjoy square. Peadar Kearney, his uncle and author of song and the national anthem, also lived in the area. Stephen Behan, his father, acted in the war of independence, painted houses, and read classic literature to the children at bedtime from such sources as Émile Zola, John Galsworthy, and Henri René Albert Guy de Maupassant; Kathleen Behan, his mother, took them on literary tours of the city. From father, interest of Behan in literature came; his mother originated his political ideas. She politically acted in all her life and personally befriended Michael Collins. Brendan Behan lamented "The Laughing Boy" at the age of thirteen to Collins. His mother gave the affectionate nickname, the title, to Collins. Kathleen published "Mother of all the Behans," a collaboration with Brian Behan, another son, in 1984.
Peadar Kearney, uncle of Brendan Francis Behan, composed Amhrán na bhFiann , the national anthem. People best knew "The Patriot Game," the song of Dominic Behan, his also renowned brother; Brian Behan, another sibling, a prominent radical political activist, spoke in public, acted, and authored. Brendan and Brian shared not the same views, especially when the question of politics or nationalism arose. Brendan on his deathbed presumably in jest asked Cathal Goulding, then the chief of staff, to "have that bastard Brian shot—we've had all sorts in our family, but never a traitor!"
From a drinking session, Brendan Francis Behan at the age of eight years in 1931 returned home on one day with his granny and a crony, Ulick O'Connor recounts. A passerby remarked, "Oh, my! Isn't it terrible ma'am to see such a beautiful child deformed?" "How dare you", said his granny. "He's not deformed, he's just drunk!"
Brendan Francis Behan left school at 13 years of age to follow in footsteps of his father as a house painter.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
July 12, 2018
Behan dictated and recorded this book during the last months of his life. At his death, the book was complete but had not been edited by Behan. This, and Behan's illness, at least in part must account for why this book feels so loose and disjointed in comparison with Borstal Boy. I love Borstal Boy for its wit and compassion, and it is a comparatively tight narrative, focusing on the three years Behan spent in Borstal and British prisons. Confessions of an Irish Rebel, on the other hand, accounts for around ten years of Behan's life. It was a turbulent time: Behan remains part of the IRA on his return to Ireland, and spends a further four years in prison. He also assists in helping an IRA man escape from prison in the UK, and spends a further period in an English prison. He fits in many jaunts to France, in this time, as well as work in the house-painting trade, writing articles and pornography for various newspapers, and working as a pimp. His alcoholism grows and grows, and is clearly taking a toll on his health. The narrative wanders, travelling back and forth in time, and is full of yarns and anecdotes. Much of Behan's time is spent telling stories in pubs, and this is perhaps what Confessions of an Irish Rebel most resembles: listening to Behan tell stories over a drink. It's entertaining enough, but it lacks the self-insight and subtlety of Borstal Boy. This one is probably only interesting to those of us who are already fans of Behan's work.
July 30, 2012
more like 4.5 stars, honestly. and then only because it's being compared to Borstal Boy. This second memoir is also incredible, just a few things I wasn't too keen on about it, but overall fantastic. more name-droppy than Borstal Boy but if I drank with samuel beckett i'd probably name drop him too...
March 17, 2018
В продолжении его автобиографии «Шантрапа», которая была, в свою очередь, развитием жанра автобиографий, начатого «Островитянином», главное — уже даже не его ходки и сидки, хотя и они тоже были, а впечатления о богемной жизни Дублина конца 40-х — конца 60-х. Ну как богемной — Биэн довольно долго работал маляром. Ну как работал… в общем. Тут звучит голос Майлзова персонажа (да, Биэн этот текст преимущественно надиктовывал, а собирала его редакторесса, которой он до конца не простил того, что она англичанка). Биэн тут травит байки (не приврешь — не расскажешь) и очень любит выступать в жанре сократического диалога, восходящего к античным философам и учителям церкви. Из хайлайтов — отчет о французских путешествиях и знаменитых «Катакомбах», уже знакомых нам по книгам Кронина. Ирландский бит в его лучшем виде.
October 7, 2024
Obsessed with as a cultural figure. If only he laid off the jars a little bit. What is most striking about Behan is you never feel like he’s honest, and you always feel like he’s manipulating humour, and striking jokes as a way of writing around what is maybe too painful or abject for him to address. But he’s also frank about writing being a means for money, so there’s that to consider too. He’s blunt and desecrate and tells stories for any small glance of wisdom or truth, though he says he believes in neither. And it’s not as simple as he just liked a drink, there must be a hole to fill. Or is it actually that simple?
November 1, 2013
One of my favorites, was my introduction to Behan. I devoured it in a night and acquired Borstal Boy the next day.
It reads like you were listening to Behan reminisce over a pint of porter; a quality I found absolutely enthralling.
My words cannot do justice to this gem of a book
It reads like you were listening to Behan reminisce over a pint of porter; a quality I found absolutely enthralling.
My words cannot do justice to this gem of a book
June 26, 2008
This is the second half of Behan's Autobio. I think much funnier than Borstal Boy
May 24, 2023
This is Behan at his very best. Though a sequel to Borstal Boy, this is a very different book from its predecessor. Eschewed is the clear, three part narrative structure of Borstal Boy and in its place is a looser narrative that is mostly chronological but occasionally jumps forward in time to give reflections on the past. The story itself is a fascinating biography that details Behan’s transition from unemployed ex-prisoner to successful playwright. Of course, one must question how much of it is true, and more than a few of the anecdotes that are in here also appear in After the Wake in very different situations; but this barely matters, as any lies are told in service of making the story better. The book is full of wonderful anecdotes and a real emotional sense of what the transition from nobody to artist felt like for Behan. His multiple arrests in England and his different treatment each time gives a sense of what he has gained with fame, while his trips to Paris and his realization that it has changed gives a sense of what is lost. This book is a must read and easily one of my favourites.
November 17, 2025
Het ligt niet in mijn aard om me te verstoppen. Toen ik dus voorbij de passencontrole was en de loopplank afliep, besloot ik meteen koers te zetten naar een kroeg in Grafton Street. Ik gaf er de voorkeur aan te gaan lopen, omdat frisse lucht me goed zou doen omdat ik, als ik er maar enigszins tijd voor had, bijzonder graag wandelde. Bovendien was die dag als het ware bedwelmd door de zon en toen ik Grafton Street insloeg was het trottoir zo heet als de stookplaat van een fornuis en was ik blij dat ik mijn voeten in veiligheid kon brengen op een barkruk in de kroeg.
November 29, 2021
Really funny and a lovely insight into a Dublin and Ireland that no longer exists.
Read
February 15, 2023Realistically not going to finish this and I think I’ve suffered enough of it to allow myself a point towards my reading challenge.
Still love Brendan though.
Still love Brendan though.
November 27, 2024
The real sell is Brendan Behan's stark authenticity. He is funny, scathing, vulnerable, and charismatic. It's a good read if you're intrigued to learn about the man behind the under the influence BBC interviews and don't mind the trailing-off-On-The-Road-ness of his second memoir.
Read
October 23, 2016The mention of Brendan Behan will bring at least a smile to those who know him, for it cannot be said that he did not bring out the spirit in everyone he met.
"I am a drinker with writing problems." wrote Behan, so it was no surprise to anyone, especially himself, that he died from his excesses. Dead at 41 years of age in March of 1964, he left us richer with his plays and stories, now much appreciated by another generation.
Confessions of an Irish Rebel goes much farther that an autobiography, it fills in the gaps (something he hated to do in his trade as a painter) of his tortured life. From his various stints in jail, for political activism, sometimes criminal activity and at least one charge of attempted murder, we can see a character who was not only capable of great sins, he was an active pursuer of that life. Yet he remains admirable to his readers, at least from the safe distance of heaven.
"I am a drinker with writing problems." wrote Behan, so it was no surprise to anyone, especially himself, that he died from his excesses. Dead at 41 years of age in March of 1964, he left us richer with his plays and stories, now much appreciated by another generation.
Confessions of an Irish Rebel goes much farther that an autobiography, it fills in the gaps (something he hated to do in his trade as a painter) of his tortured life. From his various stints in jail, for political activism, sometimes criminal activity and at least one charge of attempted murder, we can see a character who was not only capable of great sins, he was an active pursuer of that life. Yet he remains admirable to his readers, at least from the safe distance of heaven.
May 29, 2008
This was my first Brendan Behan book, and definately not my last. I am eager to check out Borstal Boy asap! Behan's humor is classic, even through tough times in his life. It's important to read the forward in this book to understand why it jumps around so much.
February 20, 2009
Never again will I neglect the opportunity to throw an insult like "you poxy-faced bastard of a whore's melt." The narration does jump around a bit, but it's entertaining and reads exactly as I imagine he spoke.
May 27, 2012
Follow up to Borstal Boy is entertaining, but tends to wander at times. The anecdotes are often very funny, and the dialogue again is strong. Ends quite suddenly, and I felt that there could have been more detail on his writing career.
Want to read
September 15, 2011Fell in LOVE with Behan while touring the Dublin Writer's Museum. Can't wait to read this book.
March 31, 2010
Brilliant writing from Brendan Behan, autobiographical, hilarious in parts. The man was a walking metaphor for all that is/was Irish.
November 16, 2021
I love Behan, and this is an exceptional collection!
August 28, 2022
Fabulous sequel to Borstal Boy and so very poignant given he dictated most of it from his deathbed.
January 1, 2025
I first came across the name of Brendan Behan when I was reading about Christy Brown. Socially, they were on friendly terms but Brown was anxious to match his success. Behan, just like Brown was a voracious drinker, and it played a significant role in his early death at the age of forty-one.
This book was released posthumously. It tells the story of his life, in his inner voice after Borstal Boy (when he was imprisoned for attempting to bomb the Liverpool docks). Brendan dictated this book during the last years of his life. Thankfully, the book had been completed, but it had not been edited by Behan. It tends to wander at times and is a bit loose here and there. It can meander from one subject to the next and at times it can be hard to keep track of.
More importantly, for me anyway, it leaves many questions unanswered. He never states why he drifted away from the IRA, just that he did. There is nothing about how he feels about his poor health in the end or about his illegitimate child (a further child is born to his wife post-death).
However, it is very well written and has many very funny sub-stories. One of the funnier aspects is how he gets on with some of the British police and prison guards. For instance, after another stint in prison, he is given the option to get out if he agrees to leave the country. A policeman goes with him to the port and they both get drunk along the way. He is supposed to spend his last night in another prison but they won’t let him in as they say he is too drunk! The book is full of such anecdotes and can be very laugh-out-loud at times.
Another is when he’s working for a pimp in Paris from one of the pubs. A man is there with his mother, so they convince her that her son heading to a late-night mass only for men.
He never talks about his liaisons, but the book gives me the impression that there were many. It’s a pity cause I’m sure there must have been some stories left out.
The book ends quite abruptly. Probably, on his death, he didn’t want to say too much about those he loved most.
I give this book 3.5 stars out of 5.
This book was released posthumously. It tells the story of his life, in his inner voice after Borstal Boy (when he was imprisoned for attempting to bomb the Liverpool docks). Brendan dictated this book during the last years of his life. Thankfully, the book had been completed, but it had not been edited by Behan. It tends to wander at times and is a bit loose here and there. It can meander from one subject to the next and at times it can be hard to keep track of.
More importantly, for me anyway, it leaves many questions unanswered. He never states why he drifted away from the IRA, just that he did. There is nothing about how he feels about his poor health in the end or about his illegitimate child (a further child is born to his wife post-death).
However, it is very well written and has many very funny sub-stories. One of the funnier aspects is how he gets on with some of the British police and prison guards. For instance, after another stint in prison, he is given the option to get out if he agrees to leave the country. A policeman goes with him to the port and they both get drunk along the way. He is supposed to spend his last night in another prison but they won’t let him in as they say he is too drunk! The book is full of such anecdotes and can be very laugh-out-loud at times.
Another is when he’s working for a pimp in Paris from one of the pubs. A man is there with his mother, so they convince her that her son heading to a late-night mass only for men.
He never talks about his liaisons, but the book gives me the impression that there were many. It’s a pity cause I’m sure there must have been some stories left out.
The book ends quite abruptly. Probably, on his death, he didn’t want to say too much about those he loved most.
I give this book 3.5 stars out of 5.
February 2, 2018
An interesting read. I think that the book both annoyed me and amused me in equal measure. One of the things I liked about it, was that it was written in Behan's voice, and with a large amount of Irish brogue within the text. Whenever I read a book I always have a voice in my head for the character about whom I'm reading, or for who is speaking. Needless to say the voice in my head throughout this book was one with a strong Irish accent. Behan, being a native Gaelic speaker, would naturally have a very heavy Irish brogue, and that was one of the things I enjoyed in reading this.
I am inclined to be a strong sympathiser for the Irish cause, and believe they were badly treated by the British over hundreds of years. As such I understand the Irish struggles and the original IRA cause. But Behan's reasoning for his affiliation to the IRA seems at times mixed and confused, as did much of his politics and his beliefs.
His humour is not to be doubted and the lyrical style of dialogue is often amusing and enchanting. On the other hand his boasts about his indolence, and disregard for common law quite often are at best irritating. His talent as a writer was clearly diminished and shortened by his reliance on alcohol, and I found rather too much indulgence in the descriptions of his alcohol steeped life. I understand that alcoholism is an illness, but I found his celebration of his alcoholic state to be rather tiresome.
I accept that this particular book is not really Behan's voice, it's a voice transcribed and remembered. I suspect I need to read more to get a fuller picture and to be able to make a truer judgement.
I'm pleased that I have read this and I do have another Behan on the pile of reading that awaits me. I shall reserve my judgement until I have read more.
I am inclined to be a strong sympathiser for the Irish cause, and believe they were badly treated by the British over hundreds of years. As such I understand the Irish struggles and the original IRA cause. But Behan's reasoning for his affiliation to the IRA seems at times mixed and confused, as did much of his politics and his beliefs.
His humour is not to be doubted and the lyrical style of dialogue is often amusing and enchanting. On the other hand his boasts about his indolence, and disregard for common law quite often are at best irritating. His talent as a writer was clearly diminished and shortened by his reliance on alcohol, and I found rather too much indulgence in the descriptions of his alcohol steeped life. I understand that alcoholism is an illness, but I found his celebration of his alcoholic state to be rather tiresome.
I accept that this particular book is not really Behan's voice, it's a voice transcribed and remembered. I suspect I need to read more to get a fuller picture and to be able to make a truer judgement.
I'm pleased that I have read this and I do have another Behan on the pile of reading that awaits me. I shall reserve my judgement until I have read more.
March 28, 2025
A sort of sequel to Borstal Boy. It picks up with the author being released from Borstal, going back home to Dublin and essentially continuing on with IRA activities, which sees him spend more time in prison.
He has occasional stints in France and occasionally works as a house painter before working as a freelance journalist (and occasional ballad singer). He seems to love Republicanism and drinking. Definitely a character people are drawn to.
The book isn’t quite at the same level as Borstal Boy because it’s over a longer time period so it’s a bit more disjointed. But more importantly by this stage, Behan was a chronic alcoholic so this was dictated to (and edited by) his publisher (who admits in the foreword that he’s not a writer). The book was released after Behans death from said alcoholism. Given that circumstance, it’s amazing how well the book turned out.
A great Irish character.
He has occasional stints in France and occasionally works as a house painter before working as a freelance journalist (and occasional ballad singer). He seems to love Republicanism and drinking. Definitely a character people are drawn to.
The book isn’t quite at the same level as Borstal Boy because it’s over a longer time period so it’s a bit more disjointed. But more importantly by this stage, Behan was a chronic alcoholic so this was dictated to (and edited by) his publisher (who admits in the foreword that he’s not a writer). The book was released after Behans death from said alcoholism. Given that circumstance, it’s amazing how well the book turned out.
A great Irish character.
May 5, 2022
I bought this book, published in 1965, the year after it's author died, and recently discovered it again, still unread. In the US Behan was a colorful figure known for being outrageous, occasionally drunk, and personifying the IRA. It's an autobiography, the sequel to Borstal Boy and chronicles his frequent stints in English jails, and pictures his life with friends and relatives in Dublin and as he moves among various branches of the Irish Republican Army.
Sixty-odd years later it is still interesting, entertaining, and educational. It assumes that the reader knows at least the basics of the root causes of "the troubles," has an appreciation for Irish political songs, and that you can understand or at least guess at quotes in Gaelic. It has held up better than many books by and about revolutionary figures of the 1960s.
Sixty-odd years later it is still interesting, entertaining, and educational. It assumes that the reader knows at least the basics of the root causes of "the troubles," has an appreciation for Irish political songs, and that you can understand or at least guess at quotes in Gaelic. It has held up better than many books by and about revolutionary figures of the 1960s.
July 2, 2024
Brendan Behan's "Confessions of an Irish Rebel" is a captivating follow-up to his memoir "Borstal Boy." It's a rambunctious blend of autobiography, political commentary, and pub anecdotes, offering a glimpse into Behan's life as a republican activist and drinker in 1940s Dublin.
The book is filled with Behan's characteristic wit and lyricism, but it's also marked by a sense of melancholy and disillusionment. Behan doesn't shy away from his flaws, including his struggles with alcoholism.
"Confessions" is a must-read for fans of Behan's work and anyone interested in Irish history and culture. However, the book's rambling structure and lack of focus may not appeal to all readers.
The book is filled with Behan's characteristic wit and lyricism, but it's also marked by a sense of melancholy and disillusionment. Behan doesn't shy away from his flaws, including his struggles with alcoholism.
"Confessions" is a must-read for fans of Behan's work and anyone interested in Irish history and culture. However, the book's rambling structure and lack of focus may not appeal to all readers.
August 11, 2020
¿Rebelde?, más bien pícaro.
Aburrido en grado superlativo, con alguna chispa pequeña, lo único que hay son "sablazos" a conocidos y bebida, además de algunas canciones.
Esperaba ver la lucha de un resistente del IRA y de eso nada, un vividor son "ira" y nada más.
Decepción para lo que me esperaba, claro, que a lo mejor, esperaba mucho.
Por cierto, este tipo de lucha, creo que ha hey más daño en otros casos que beneficio a ellos y, no, no los puedo considerar héroes.
Aburrido en grado superlativo, con alguna chispa pequeña, lo único que hay son "sablazos" a conocidos y bebida, además de algunas canciones.
Esperaba ver la lucha de un resistente del IRA y de eso nada, un vividor son "ira" y nada más.
Decepción para lo que me esperaba, claro, que a lo mejor, esperaba mucho.
Por cierto, este tipo de lucha, creo que ha hey más daño en otros casos que beneficio a ellos y, no, no los puedo considerar héroes.
January 3, 2023
Very funny in parts and has some great stories of Behan’s antics, but a bit all over the place and seems to lack a proper narrative arc. That might be deliberate, but I think it more comes from the fact it is written based off of interviews with the author.
August 13, 2024
This was recorded on tape and he died before it could be written and editted so it comes across a bit clunky and all over the place. Such a shame it wasn't editted by him but it's still a great book. 3.5 stars
September 7, 2025
Biografia sobre el propi escriptor en la seva trajectòria vital, la seva implicació amb l’IRA i la continua vida bohèmia amb una addicció al alcohol.
M'esperava molt més, poca reflexió i acció política i molta vida de bar i addicció a l'alcohol.
M'esperava molt més, poca reflexió i acció política i molta vida de bar i addicció a l'alcohol.
July 18, 2018
Excellent, a real view of how it was. If you love Ireland then you shall read this book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews