2. his brother W(illiam) B(utler). 1865–1939, Irish poet and dramatist. His collections of verse include Responsibilities (1914), The Tower (1928), and The Winding Stair (1929). Among his plays are The Countess Cathleen (1892) and Cathleen ni Houlihan (1902); he was a founder of the Irish National Theatre Company at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin. He was awarded the Nobel prize for literature in 1923