Fascinating collection of many well-known John B Keane poems and, for the first time, his songs, selected and edited by his daughter Joanna. It includes; The Street, My Father, The Sive Song, Sweet Listowel, Many Young Men of Twenty, Kitty Curley and If I Were the Rose of Tralee - a must for all Keane fans.

Listowel man John B. Keane, who died in May 2002, was an Irish literary legend. Dramatist, novelist, raconteur and wit, his published work includes The Field and Durango (which have been filmed), Sive and Celebrated Letters of John B. Keane. This expanded version of The Street also includes songs and ballads such as 'Many Young Men of Twenty' and 'Kitty Curley'. 'John B. Keane wrote poems at different times in his life. As a young man, he wrote quite a lot, but as he turned his attention more and more to plays, his poetic output understandably diminished. Yet, he always kept in touch. 'This new collection has all the imaginative vitality and variety, the linguistic energy, the blend of humour and compassion, the sharp powers of observation, the love of nature, the understanding of people, the love of music, the lifelong appreciation of drink and drinking companions, and that tolerant open-mindedness to¬wards different kinds of experience that characterises all his work. 'Readers of this book, these poems and ballads, will be struck, once again, by the warm humanity of the man who wrote them, and by the scrupulous, traditional skills with which he expressed that humanity.' - from the introduction by Brendan Kennelly