Richard Hayward (1892–1964) was my favourite writer when I was a little boy. He was also an actor and musician. Born in Southport, he was an enthusiast for all Ulster regional popular culture and I loved his books about Ulster and the rest of Ireland.
Among these are: In praise of Ulster (1938), Where the Shannon flows (1940), Corrib Country (1943), In the Kingdom of Kerry (1946), Leinster and the city of Dublin (1949),Belfast through the ages (1952), Story of the Irish Harp (1954) and Munster and the city of Cork (1964)
After a period working at the Gaiety Theatre Dublin he helped form the Belfast Repertory Theatre Company. He was a popular singer in the forties and fifties. His career meant he lived a typical theatrical lifestyle being constantly on the move. He died due to a road accident outside Ballymena, in October 1964.
Selected filmography
- Flame in the Heather (1935)
- The Early Bird (1936)
- Irish and Proud of It (1936)
- The Luck of the Irish (1936)
- Devil’s Rock (1938)
- A Night to Remember (1958)
- Richard also wrote the screenplay of the musical drama Devil’s Rock.
