Celebrations to mark the centenary of Samuel Beckett's birth included the opening of an exhibition of John Minihan's world famous photographs at the National Photographic Archive in Dublin's Temple Bar.
Samuel Beckett was a complex and brilliant man but a reluctant subject who rarely posed for the camera.
These photographs of the writer were taken by Kildare photographer John Minihan. Minihan first met Beckett in London in 1980 and their friendship led to some of the most remarkable and iconic images of the famous writer.
John Minihan's rare photographs of Beckett are extraordinary, ordinary moments in time captured forever. Gareth O'Connor speaks to John Minihan who describes working with Beckett.
Beckett was a very simple man. He didn't like to be treated reverentially. He just wanted people to see him. That is what he extracted that's where he got a lot of his language from, from the ordinariness of life.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 5 April 2006. The reporter is Gareth O'Connor.
