A subtle, unsentimental lament for the working class in which a group of decorators misuse each other for their own advantage, Jimmy Murphy's Brothers of the Brush won the award for best new play when first performed at the Dublin Theatre Festival, 1993. Stuart Parker's Pentecost is a cry of compassion for the walking wounded of Belfast and articulates a hope for spiritual regeneration through personal grace.

Jimmy Murphy's plays for the Abbey Theatre include Brothers ofthe Brush, 1993 (winner of the Dublin Festival Best newplay award.) A Picture of Paradise 1997, and The MuesliBelt, 2000 Other works include Aceldama, 1998, The Kings of the Kilburn High Road, 2000 (2001 TricycleTheatre, London) The CastlecomerJukebox, (2004)for Red Kettle and What's left of the Flag, 2010 Theatre Upstairs@ The Plough, (nominated for Best New Play, 2010 Irish Theatre awards.) In 2008an Irish language feature film version of The Kings of the Kilburn High Road;Kings, was Ireland's official entry into theBest foreign language Oscars category and a subsequent postage stamp was issuedin its honour. He is former writer in residence at NUI, Maynooth, a member ofthe Abbey Theatre's Advisory Council and a recipient of three Bursaries inliterature from the Arts Council/An ChomhairleEalaíon. In 2004 he was elected amember of Aosdána, the affiliation of Irish artists. In September 2011 Focus Theatre will premierehis new play The Hen NightEpiphany.