Irish playwright and screenwriter, in England from 1914. A former coal bagger and lorry driver, he started writing in the early 1940's. His first novel, "A Roof Over Your Head", was published in 1945. He also contributed articles to the humorous magazine 'Lilliput' and later wrote for radio and films. Much of his output deals with the plight of the working class. He is best known, however, for his creation of the rakish cockney
Alfie (1966).
