Born in Wexford, Billy worked as an actor and a singer before turning to writing in the 1980s. His acclaimed Wexford trilogy comprising “A Handful of Stars” (1988), “Poor Beast in the Rain” (1989) and “Belfry” (1990) won him numerous awards in both Ireland and Britain. His prose works include the novel “Tumbling Down” (1986) and the short story collection “Tales From Rainwater Pond” (2006). His work for screen includes his IFTA-nominated, four-part TV series “Clean Break” which premiered on RTE in 2015.