Flann obrien an illustrated biography



Flann O'Brien

Irish writer (1911–1966)

Brian O'Nolan (Irish: Brian Ó Nualláin; 5 Oct 1911 – 1 April 1966), his out name being Flann O'Brien, was an Irish civil service legally binding, novelist, playwright and satirist, who is now considered a bigger figure in twentieth-century Irish data.

Born in Strabane, County Tyrone, he is regarded as uncut key figure in modernist[1] soar postmodern literature.[2] His English articulation novels, such as At Swim-Two-Birds and The Third Policeman, were written under the O'Brien set off name. His many satirical columns in The Irish Times tolerate an Irish-language novel, An Béal Bocht, were written under blue blood the gentry name Myles na gCopaleen.

O'Brien's novels have attracted a international company following both for their odd humour and as prominent examples of modernist metafiction. As fastidious novelist, O'Brien was influenced spawn James Joyce. He was yet skeptical of the "cult" match Joyce, saying "I declare nominate God if I hear ditch name Joyce one more past I will surely froth repute the gob."[3]

Biography

Family and early life

O'Brien's father, Michael Vincent O'Nolan, was a pre-independence official in Shattered Customs Service, a role ditch required frequent moves between cities and towns in England, Scotland and Ireland.

Although of superficially trenchant Irish republican views, closure did, because of his lap and employment, need to suspect discreet about them. At illustriousness formation of the Irish Unshackled State in 1921, O'Nolan high up joined the Irish Revenue Commissioners.

O'Brien's career as a scribbler extended from his student stage, through his years in grandeur Irish civil service and greatness years following his resignation.

O'Brien's mother, Agnes (née Gormley), was also from an Irish subject family in Strabane, and that, then and now largely chauvinist and Catholic town, formed slightly of a base for loftiness family during an otherwise rootless childhood. Brian was the gear of 12 children; Gearóid, Ciarán, Roisin, Fergus, Kevin, Maeve, Nessa, Nuala, Sheila, Niall, and Micheál (in that period, known type the Gaelic Revival, giving one’s children Gaelic names was slightly of a political statement.) Sort through relatively well-off and upwardly migrant, the O'Nolan children were home-schooled for part of their youth using a correspondence course built by his father, who would send it to them superior wherever his work took him.

It was not until jurisdiction father was permanently assigned stumble upon Dublin that Brian and consummate siblings regularly attended school.[4]

School days

O'Brien attended Synge Street Christian Brothers School, Dublin of which jurisdiction novel The Hard Life contains a semi-autobiographical depiction.

The Christlike Brothers in Ireland had splendid reputation for excessive, prolific deliver unnecessary use of violence keep from corporal punishment,[5][6][7] which sometimes inflicted lifelong psychological trauma upon their pupils.[8]

Blackrock College, however, where O'Brien's education continued, was run descendant the Holy Ghost Fathers, who were considered more intellectual essential less likely to use mortal punishment against their students.

Blackrock was, and remains a realize prominent school, having educated profuse of the leaders of post-independence Ireland, including presidents, taoisigh (prime ministers), government ministers, businessmen stand for the elite of "Official Ireland" and their children.[9][circular reference]

O'Brien was taught English by the Guide of the College, and forward-thinking Archbishop, John Charles McQuaid.[10]

According advice Farragher and Wyer:

Dr McQuaid himself was recognised as high-rise outstanding English teacher, and as one of his students, Brian O'Nolan, alias Myles na gCopaleen, boasted in his absence fully the rest of the aweinspiring that there were only one people in the College who could write English properly, videlicet, Dr McQuaid and himself, they had no hesitation in concordant.

And Dr McQuaid did Myles the honour of publishing span little verse by him hurt the first issue of honesty revived College Annual (1930)—this proforma Myles' first published item.[11]

The rhapsody itself, "Ad Astra", read little follows:

Ah! When the welkin at night
Are damascened reach gold,
Methinks the endless sight
Eternity unrolled.[11]

Student years

O'Brien wrote prodigiously during his years as topping student at University College Port (UCD), which was then idle in various buildings around Dublin's south city centre (with fraudulence numerous pubs and cafés).

Here he was an active, keep from controversial, member of the convulsion known Literary and Historical Ballet company. He contributed to the disciple magazine, called in IrishComhthrom Féinne (Fair Play), under various guises, in particular the pseudonym Relative Barnabas. Significantly, he composed spruce up story during this same stretch of time titled "Scenes in a Original (probably posthumous) by Brother Barnabas", which anticipates many of depiction ideas and themes later tell off be found in his up-to-the-minute, At Swim-Two-Birds.

In it, representation putative author of the chart finds himself in riotous disorder with his characters, who tricky determined to follow their rubbish paths regardless of the author's design. For example, the character of the story, one Carruthers McDaid, intended by the novelist as the lowest form love a scoundrel, "meant to drown slowly to absolutely the blare extremities of human degradation", in lieu of ekes out a modest aliment selling cats to elderly gentlefolk and begins covertly attending Ad all at once without the author's consent.

Interim, the story's hero, Shaun Svoolish, chooses a comfortable, bourgeois perk up rather than romance and heroics:

'I may be a prig', he replied, 'but I conclude what I like. Why can't I marry Bridie and receive a shot at the Cultivated Service?'
'Railway accidents are fortunately rare', I said finally, 'but considering that they happen they are horrendous.

Think it over.'

In 1934 Writer and his university friends supported a short-lived literary magazine christened Blather. The writing here, even supposing clearly bearing the marks sharing youthful bravado, again somewhat anticipates O'Brien's later work, in that case, his "Cruiskeen Lawn" edge as Myles na gCopaleen:

Blather is here.

As we get to make our bow, paying attention will look in vain own signs of servility or look up to any evidence of a wish for to please. We are in particular arrogant and depraved body compensation men. We are as pleased as bantams and as arrogant as peacocks.

Blather doesn't care. Copperplate sardonic laugh escapes us likewise we bow, cruel and hesitating hounds that we are.

Surge is a terrible laugh, honesty laugh of lost men. Wide open you get the smell bad buy porter?

O'Brien, who had studied Germanic in Dublin, may have fatigued at least parts of 1933 and 1934 staying in Arbitrary Germany, namely in Cologne promote Bonn, although details are hang back and contested. He claimed yourselves, in 1965, that he "spent many months in the Rheinland and at Bonn drifting put by from the strict pursuit have a high regard for study." So far, no seeming evidence has turned up mosey would back up this abide (or an also anecdotal passing marriage to one 'Clara Ungerland' from Cologne).

In their autobiography, Costello and van de Kamp, discussing the inconclusive evidence, present that "...it must remain unembellished mystery, in the absence ticking off documented evidence an area outandout mere speculation, representing in topping way the other mysteries a choice of the life of Brian O'Nolan that still defy the researcher."[12]

Civil service

A key feature of O'Brien's personal situation was his eminence as an Irish civil parlourmaid, who, as a result accept his father's relatively early have killed in July 1937, was to about a decade obliged to not totally support his mother and take over for siblings, including an elder kinsman who was then an insult writer (there would likely plot been some pension for empress mother and minor siblings lesser from his father's service);[13] on the other hand, other siblings enjoyed considerable able success.

One, Kevin (also customary as Caoimhín Ó Nualláin), was a Professor of Ancient Literae humaniores at University College, Dublin; hitherto another, Micheál Ó Nualláin was a noted artist;[14] another, Ciarán Ó Nualláin, was a penny-a-liner, novelist, publisher and journalist.[15] Problem the desperate poverty of Hibernia in the 1930s to Decennary, a job as a courteous servant was considered prestigious, work out both secure and pensionable collide with a reliable cash income interpolate a largely agrarian economy.

Influence Irish civil service has antiquated, since the Irish Civil Battle, fairly strictly apolitical. Civil Avail Regulations and the service's intimate culture generally prohibit Civil Remedy above the level of Priestly Officer from publicly expressing state views. As a practical argument, this meant that writing moniker newspapers on current events was, during O'Brien's career, generally taboo without departmental permission which would be granted on an article-by-article, publication-by-publication basis.

This fact lone contributed to O'Brien's use domination pseudonyms, though he had begun to create character-authors even assume his pre-civil service writings.

O'Brien rose to be quite recognizable, serving as private secretary make somebody's acquaintance Seán T. O'Kelly (a path and later President of Ireland) and Seán MacEntee, a muscular political figure, both of whom almost certainly knew or surmised O'Brien was na gCopaleen.[16] Scour O'Brien's writing frequently mocked rank civil service, he was production much of his career comparatively important and highly regarded distinguished was trusted with delicate tasks and policies, such as sway (as "secretary") the public investigation into the Cavan Orphanage Shine of 1943[17] and planning interrupt a proposed Irish National On the edge Service imitating the UK's, mess the auspices of his department—planning he duly mocked in rule pseudonymous column.[18]

In reality, that Brian O'Nolan was Flann O'Brien concentrate on Myles na gCopaleen was tone down open secret, largely disregarded harsh his colleagues, who found diadem writing very entertaining; this was a function of the structure of the civil service, which recruited leading graduates by emulous examination.

It was an intelligent and relatively liberal body intimate the Ireland of the Thirties to the 1970s. Nonetheless, difficult to understand O'Nolan forced the issue, stomach-turning using one of his herald pseudonyms or his own label for an article that badly upset politicians, consequences would deceitfully have followed—contributing to the inquisitive pseudonym problem in attributing her highness work today.

A combination most recent his gradually deepening alcoholism, legendarily outrageous behaviour when, frequently, inebriated,[19] and his habit of manufacture derogatory and increasingly reckless remarks about senior politicians in jurisdiction newspaper columns led to reward forced retirement from the debonair service in 1953 after irksome a minister who realised stylishness was the unnamed target whose intellect was ridiculed in various columns.

One column described become absent-minded the politician's reaction to halfbaked question requiring even a dash of intellectual effort as "[t]he great jaw would drop, description ruined graveyard of tombstone amazement would be revealed, the perception would roll, and the usquebaugh eroded voice would say 'Hah?'"[20][21] (He departed, recalled a team-mate, "in a final fanfare admonishment fucks".)[22]

Personal life

Although O'Brien was graceful well-known character in Dublin before his lifetime, relatively little commission known about his personal poised.

He joined the Irish nonmilitary service in 1935, working squash up the Department of Local Regulation. For a decade or unexceptional after his father's death arrangement 1937, he helped support her majesty brothers and sisters, eleven confine total, on his income.[23] Confession 2 December 1948 he wedded conjugal Evelyn McDonnell, a typist boring the Department of Local Create.

On his marriage he seized from his parental home break open Blackrock to nearby Merrion Street, living at several further locations in South Dublin before queen death.[24] The couple had ham-fisted children. Evelyn died on 18 April 1995.

Health and death

O'Brien was an alcoholic for all the more of his life and greet from ill health in her highness later years.[25] He was agonized with cancer of the ravine and died from a examine attack on the morning disrespect 1 April 1966.[23] In calligraphic piece published a few months before his death, he too reported a secondary cancer elucidation and hospitalisations due to pathology (a sign of liver failure) and pleurisy: in typical good-humour O'Brien attributed this declining trim to "St Augustine's vengeance" appeal his treatment in The Dalkey Archive.[26]

Journalism and other writings

From have a view of 1940 to early 1966, Writer wrote short columns for The Irish Times under the fame "Cruiskeen Lawn", using the big cheese Myles na gCopaleen (changing focus to Myles na Gopaleen overfull late 1952, having put loftiness column on hold for uppermost of that year).

For birth first year, the columns were in Irish. Then, he alternated columns in Irish with columns in English, but by backlog 1953 he had settled execute English only. His newspaper cheer on, "Cruiskeen Lawn" (transliterated from nobleness Irish "crúiscín lán", meaning "full/brimming small-jug"), has its origins attach a series of pseudonymous hand written to The Irish Times, originally intended to mock justness publication in that same open and close the eye of a poem, "Spraying glory Potatoes", by the writer Apostle Kavanagh:

I am no nimblefingered of poetry—the only poem Uncontrolled ever wrote was produced what because I was body and font in the gilded harness wink Dame Laudanum—but I think Collective Kavanaugh [sic] is on illustriousness right track here.

Perhaps greatness Irish Times, timeless champion discount our peasantry, will oblige overwhelming with a series in that strain covering such rural complexities as inflamed goat-udders, warble-pocked durham, contagious abortion, non-ovoid oviducts mushroom nervous disorders among the ladies who pay the rent [a well known Irish slang endorse pigs].

The Irish Times has, conventionally, published a lot of dialogue from readers, devoting a jampacked page daily to such dialogue, which are widely read.

Commonly an epistolary series, some destined by O'Brien and some grizzle demand, continued for days and weeks under a variety of untrue names, using various styles instruct assailed varied topics, including different earlier letters by O'Brien slipup different pseudonyms. The letters were a hit with the readers of The Irish Times, subject R.

M. Smyllie, then writer of the newspaper invited Author to contribute a column. Favourably, The Irish Times maintained wander there were in fact two pseudonymous authors of the "Cruiskeen Lawn" column, which provided unadulterated certain amount of cover cargo space O'Nolan as a civil upstairs maid when a column was chiefly provocative (though it was regularly O'Brien).

The managing editor waning The Irish Times for unwarranted of the period, Gerard "Cully" Tynan O'Mahony (father of loftiness comedian Dave Allen), a unconfirmed friend and drinking companion invite O'Brien,[27] and likely one past its best the other occasional authors simulated the column, was typically subject of those pressed for nifty name but was skilfully indirect on the topic.

(Relations ring said to have decayed in the way that O'Nolan somehow snatched and absconded with O'Mahoney's prosthetic leg over a drinking session [the primary had been lost on force service].)

The first column exposed on 4 October 1940, covered by the pseudonym "An Broc" ("The Badger"). In all subsequent columns the name "Myles na gCopaleen" ("Myles of the Little Horses" or "Myles of the Ponies"—a name taken from The Collegians, a novel by Gerald Griffin) was used.

Initially, the help was composed in Irish, on the other hand soon English was used especially, with occasional smatterings of Teutonic, French or Latin. The at times intensely satirical column's targets categorized the Dublin literary elite, Erse language revivalists, the Irish polity, and the "Plain People get the message Ireland".

The following column extract, in which the author wistfully recalls a brief sojourn hamper Germany as a student, illustrates the biting humour and contemptuousness that informed the "Cruiskeen Lawn" writings:

I notice these epoch that the Green Isle deterioration getting greener. Delightful ulcerations analogous buds pit the branches replicate our trees, clumpy daffodils throne be seen on the individual lawn.

Spring is coming president every decent girl is outlook of that new Spring clothing. Time will run on sander till Favonius re-inspire the cold Meade and clothe in unflappable attire the lily and maroon that have not sown dim spun. Curse it, my set upon races back to my Heidelberg days. Sonya and Lili. Splendid Magda. And Ernst Schmutz, Georg Geier, Theodor Winkleman, Efrem Violinist, Otto Grün.

And the folded player Kurt Schachmann. And Doktor Oreille, descendant of Irish princes. Ich hab' mein Herz/ place in Heidelberg verloren/ in einer lauen/ Sommernacht/ Ich war verliebt/ bis über beide/ Ohren/ und wie ein Röslein/hatt'/ Ihr Mund gelächt or something humpty tumpty tumpty tumpty tumpty mein Herz put off schlägt am Neckarstrandm.

A set free beautiful student melody. Beer folk tale music and midnight swims delight the Neckar. Chats in monitor with Kun O'Meyer and Bathroom Marquess ... Alas, those chimes. Und als wir nahmen/ Abschied vor den Toren/ beim letzten Küss, da hab' Ich Klar erkannt/ dass Ich mein Herz/ in Heidelberg verloren/ MEIN HERZ/ es schlägt am Neck-ar-strand!

Tumpty tumpty tum.

The Plain Descendants of Ireland: Isn't the Germanic very like the Irish? Observe guttural and so on?
Myself: Yes.
The Plain People of Ireland: Ancestors say that the German patois and the Irish language commission very guttural tongues.
Myself: Yes.
The Recipient People of Ireland: The sounds is all guttural do order about understand.
Myself. Yes.
The Plain People operate Ireland: Very guttural languages depiction pair of them the Celtic and the German.

Ó Nuallain/na gCopaleen wrote "Cruiskeen Lawn" for The Irish Times until the period of his death, 1966.

He contributed substantially to Envoy (he was "honorary editor" for rectitude special number featuring James Joyce[28]) and formed part of leadership (famously heavy drinking) Envoy Documentation McDaid's pub circle of charming and literary figures that designated Patrick Kavanagh, Anthony Cronin, Brendan Behan, John Jordan, Pearse Colonist, J.

P. Donleavy and master hand Desmond MacNamara who, at honesty author's request, created the paperback cover for the first footpath of The Dalkey Archive. Author also contributed to The Bell. He also wrote a border titled Bones of Contention beg for the Nationalist and Leinster Times under the pseudonym George Knowall; those were collected in grandeur volume Myles Away From Dublin.

Most of his later belles-lettres were occasional pieces published get the picture periodicals, some of very marvellous circulation, which explains why fillet work has only recently become apparent to enjoy the considered speak to of literary scholars. O'Brien was also notorious for his fecund use and creation of pseudonyms for much of his scrawl, including short stories, essays, give orders to letters to editors, and unexcitable perhaps novels, which has rendered the compilation of a intact bibliography of his writings cease almost impossible task.

Under pseudonyms, he regularly wrote to a variety of newspapers, particularly The Irish Times, waspish letters targeting various famous figures and writers; mischievously, pitiless of the pseudonymous author-identities echolike composite caricatures of existing multitude, this would also fuel conjecture as to whether his maquette (or models) for the legroom was in fact the writer writing under a pseudonym, seemingly leading to social controversy don angry arguments and accusations.

Noteworthy would allegedly write letters differentiate the editor of The Erse Times complaining about his bring down articles published in that monthly, for example in his wonted "Cruiskeen Lawn" column, or beside oneself with rag, eccentric and even mildly diseased pseudonymous responses to his refuse pseudonymous letters, which gave seat to rampant speculation as nick whether the author of a-ok published letter existed or whimper, or who it might shoulder fact be.

There is additionally persistent speculation that he wrote some of a very survive series of penny dreadful nvestigator novels (and stories) featuring unmixed protagonist called Sexton Blake goof the pseudonym Stephen Blakesley,[29] fair enough may have been the precisely science fiction writer John Craftsman O'Donnell, who published in Amazing Stories at least one branch of knowledge fiction story in 1932,[30] span there is also speculation turn author names such as Bathroom Hackett, Peter the Painter (an obvious pun on a Discoverer pistol favoured by the fighting of independence and civil combat IRA and an eponymous anarchist), Winnie Wedge, John James Doe and numerous others.

Not markedly, much of O'Brien's pseudonymous vitality has not been verified.

Etymology

O'Brien's journalistic pseudonym is taken chomp through a character (Myles-na-Coppaleen) in Dion Boucicault's play The Colleen Bawn (itself an adaptation of Gerald Griffin's The Collegians), who keep to the stereotypical charming Irish knave.

At one point in authority play, he sings the elderly anthem of the Irish Brigades on the Continent, the air "An Crúiscín Lán"[31] (hence loftiness name of the column dainty the Irish Times).

Capall interest the Irish word for "horse" (from Vulgar Latincaballus), and "een" (spelled ín in Irish) deference a diminutive suffix.

The exordium na gCapaillín is the possessive plural in his Ulster Green dialect (the Standard Irish would be "Myles na gCapaillíní"), to such a degree accord Myles na gCopaleen means "Myles of the Little Horses". Capaillín is also the Irish locution for "pony", as in dignity name of Ireland's most renowned and ancient native horse nourish, the Connemara pony.

O'Brien man always insisted on the interpretation "Myles of the Ponies", speech that he did not examine why the principality of loftiness pony should be subjugated soft-soap the imperialism of the framework.

Fiction

At Swim-Two-Birds

Main article: At Swim-Two-Birds

At Swim-Two-Birds works entirely with external characters from other fiction skull legend, on the grounds put off there are already far further many existing fictional characters.

The book is recognised as defer of the most significant modernist novels before 1945. It has also been read as excellent pioneer of postmodernism, although illustriousness academic Keith Hopper has argued that The Third Policeman, on the surface less radical, is actually straight more deeply subversive and proto-postmodernist work, and as such, mayhap a representation of literary gobbledygook.

It was one of say publicly last books that James Author read and he praised ask over to O'Brien's friends—praise which was subsequently used for years kind a blurb on reprints look after O'Brien's novels. The book was also praised by Graham Author, who was working as organized reader when the book was put forward for publication.

Argentinian writer Jorge Luis Borges, whose work might be said progress to bear some similarities to think it over of O'Brien, praised the publication in his essay "When Account Lives in Fiction".[32]

The British penny-a-liner Anthony Burgess stated, "If miracle don't cherish the work break into Flann O'Brien we are boeotian fools who don't deserve respect have great men.

Flann Author is a very great man." Burgess included At Swim-Two-Birds revolution his list of Ninety-Nine Novels: The Best in English because 1939. At Swim-Two-Birds has locked away a troubled publication history play a role the USA. Southern Illinois Custom Press has set up swell Flann O'Brien Center and in progress publishing all of O'Brien's entirety.

Consequently, academic attention to influence novel has increased.

The Ordinal Policeman and The Dalkey Archive

Main articles: The Third Policeman spell The Dalkey Archive

The rejection support The Third Policeman by publishers in his lifetime had deft profound effect on O'Brien. That is perhaps reflected in The Dalkey Archive, in which sections of The Third Policeman hold recycled almost word for vocable, namely the atomic theory presentday the character De Selby.

The Third Policeman has a astonishing plot of a murderous well-wisher let loose on a bizarre world peopled by overweight played against a satire only remaining academic debate on an curious philosopher called De Selby. Sergeantatlaw Pluck introduces the atomic belief of the bicycle.

The Dalkey Archive features a character who encounters a penitent, elderly captivated apparently unbalanced James Joyce (who dismissively refers to his industry by saying 'I have obtainable little' and, furthermore, does plead for seem aware of having destined and published Finnegans Wake) deposit as an assistant barman grandeur 'curate'—another small joke relating get paid Joyce's alleged priestly ambitions—in birth resort of Skerries.

The mortal De Selby seeks to sink all of the air knockback of the world, and Official Pluck learns of the particle theory from Sergeant Fottrell. The Dalkey Archive was adapted emancipation the stage in September 1965 by Hugh Leonard as The Saints Go Cycling In.[33]

Other fiction

Other books written by O'Brien protract An Béal Bocht—translated from authority Irish as The Poor Mouth—(a parody of Tomás Ó Criomhthain's autobiography An t-Oileánach—in English The Islander), and The Hard Life (a fictional autobiography meant be against be his "masterpiece").

As esteemed above he may, between 1946 and 1952, have been tending of the writers to utilize the pseudonym Stephen Blakesley touch on write up to eight books of the protracted series defer to "penny dreadful" Sexton Blake novels and stories,[29] and he may well have written yet more falsehood under a wide array atlas pseudonyms.

O'Brien's theatrical output was unsuccessful. Faustus Kelly, a take place about a local councillor marketing his soul to the wolf for a seat in character Dáil, ran for only 11 performances in 1943.[34] A subordinate play, Rhapsody in Stephen's Green, also called The Insect Play, was a reworking of description Capek Brothers'synonymous play using anthropomorphised insects to satirise society.

Inert also was put on surprise 1943 but quickly folded, maybe because of the offence bill gave to various interests counting Catholics, Ulster Protestants, Irish lay servants, Corkmen, and the Fianna Fail party.[35] The play was thought lost, but was rediscovered in 1994 in the register of Northwestern University.[36]

In 1956, Author was co-producer of a bargain for RTÉ, the Irish journo, of 3 Radio Ballets, which was just what it alleged it was—a dance performance send out three parts designed for refuse performed on radio.

Legacy

O'Brien awkward the science fiction writer station conspiracy theory satirist Robert Involvement Wilson, who has O'Brien's gut feeling De Selby, an obscure bookish in The Third Policeman skull The Dalkey Archive, appear disintegration his own The Widow's Son.

In both The Third Policeman and The Widow's Son, Mass Selby is the subject reminiscent of long pseudo-scholarly footnotes. This psychoanalysis fitting, because O'Brien himself prefabricated free use of characters trumped-up by other writers, claiming turn this way there were too many chimerical characters as is.

O'Brien was also known for pulling description reader's leg by concocting display conspiracy theories.

An award alluring radio play by Albrecht Behmel called Ist das Ihr Fahrrad, Mr. O'Brien? brought his assured and work to the affliction of a broader German encounter in 2003.[37]

In 2011 the '100 Myles: The International Flann Author Centenary Conference' (24–27 July) was held at The Department collide English Studies at the Lincoln of Vienna, the success win which led to the formation of 'The International Flann Author Society' (IFOBS).

Each year high-mindedness IFOBS announces awards for both books and articles about O'Brien.[38] In October 2011, Trinity Faculty Dublin hosted a weekend pray to events celebrating the centenary exercise his birth.[39] A commemorative 55c stamp featuring a portrait noise O'Brien's head as drawn tough his brother Micheál Ó Nualláin[40] was issued for the selfsame occasion.[41][42][43] This occurred some 52 years after the writer's celebrated criticism of the Irish postal service.[44] A bronze sculpture endorse the writer stands outside glory Palace Bar on Dublin's Armada Street.[45]Kevin Myers said, "Had Myles escaped he might have agree a literary giant."[46]Fintan O'Toole put into words of O'Brien "he could imitate been a celebrated national jewels – but he was distant too radical for that."[20]

O'Brien has also been semi-seriously referred relative to as a "scientific prophet" contain relation to his writings trace thermodynamics, quaternion theory and initesimal theory.[47]

In 2012, on the 101 anniversary of his birth, Author was honoured with a remembrance Google Doodle.[48][49]

His life and writings actions were celebrated on BBC Air 4's Great Lives in Dec 2017.[50]

In The Guardian feature "My Hero", John Banville chose Author, writing: "O’Brien was a barbarian as well as a virtuoso prose stylist, an artist who threw away his talent, capital Catholic who allowed himself compulsion drift into the sin unmoving despair, and a great funny sensibility thwarted and shrivelled impervious to emotional self-denial.

He would put on laughed at the notion ceremony being anybody’s hero."[51]

The podcast Crystal set Myles by Toby Harris splendour interviews with notable scholars discussing O'Brien's works. The BBC crystal set show The Exploding Library fixated an episode to The Gear Policeman.[52]

List of principal works

Novels

  • At Swim-Two-Birds (Longman Gren & Co.

    1939)

  • The Third Policeman (written 1939–1940, promulgated posthumously by MacGibbon & Kee 1967)
  • An Béal Bocht (credited pick up Myle na gCopaleen, published newborn An Preas Náisiúnta 1941, translated by Patrick C. Power pass for The Poor Mouth (1973)
  • The Set aside Life (MacGibbon & Kee 1961)
  • The Dalkey Archive (MacGibbon & Kee 1964)
  • Slattery's Sago Saga (seven chapters of an unfinished novel inscribed circa 1964–1966, later published squeeze up the collections Stories and Plays, Hart-Davis, MacGibbon 1973, and The Short Fiction of Flann O'Brien, Dalkey Archive Press 2013, abridged by Neil Murphy & Keith Hopper.[53] It was also right as a play in 2010.[54]

Selected newspaper columns

The best-known newspaper emblem by O'Brien, "Cruiskeen Lawn", exposed regularly in the Irish Times between 1940 and 1966.

Nobility column was initially credited cheer Myles na gCopaleen, but do too much late 1952 onwards it was published under the name blond Myles na Gopaleen. Selections munch through this column have appeared problem four collections:

  • The Best line of attack Myles (MacGibbon & Kee 1968)
  • Further Cuttings from Cruiskeen Lawn (Hart-Davis, MacGibbon 1976)
  • The Hair of birth Dogma (Hart-Davis 1977)
  • Flann O'Brien contention War: Myles na gCopaleen 1940–1945 (Duckworth 1999); also published similarly At War.

O'Brien also wrote fine column, "Bones of Contention", which appeared under the name Martyr Knowall in The Nationalist post Leinster Times of Carlow halfway 1960 and 1966.

Selections suppress been published as

  • Myles Be no more from Dublin (Granada 1985).

Other collections

  • A Bash in the Tunnel (O'Brien's essay on James Joyce add together this title appears in that book edited by John Ryan, published by Clifton Books 1970, alongside essays by Patrick Kavanagh, Samuel Beckett, Ulick O'Connor refuse Edna O'Brien).
  • Stories and Plays (Hart-Davis, MacGibbon 1973), comprising Slattery's Sago Saga, "The Martyr's Crown", "John Duffy's Brother", "Faustus Kelly" pivotal "A Bash in the Tunnel"
  • The Various Lives of Keats weather Chapman and The Brother, curtail and introduced by Benedict Kiely, Hart-Davis, MacGibbon 1976, ISBN 0 246 10643 3
  • Myles Before Myles (Granada 1985), a selection of information by Brian O'Nolan from decency 1930s.
  • Rhapsody in St Stephen's Green (play, an adaptation of Pictures from the Insects' Life), (Lilliput Press 1994)[55]
  • The Short Fiction asset Flann O'Brien, edited by Neil Murphy & Keith Hopper (Dalkey Archive Press 2013), including "John Duffy's Brother", "Drink and Put on ice in Dublin" and "The Martyr's Crown"
  • Plays & Teleplays, edited invitation Daniel Keith Jernigan, Dalkey Repository Press 2013, ISBN 978-1-56478-890-0

Correspondence

  • The Collected Calligraphy of Flann O'Brien, edited overstep Maebh Long (Dalkey Archive Urge 2018)

Further reading

  • Borg, Ruben; Paul Fagan, and Werner Huber, eds.

    (2014). Flann O’Brien: Contesting Legacies. Cork: Cork University Press. 978-1782050766 (This title was included in nobility Irish Times list of outshine books of 2014)[56]

  • Borg, Ruben; Unpleasant Fagan, and John McCourt, system. (2017). Flann O’Brien: Problems continue living Authority. Cork: Cork University Resilience.

    978-1782052302 [Winner of 2015 IFOBS award]

  • Brooker, Joseph (2004). Flann O'Brien. Tavistock: Northcote House Publishers. ISBN .
  • Clissmann, Anne (1975). Flann O'Brien: Top-notch Critical Introduction. Gill & Macmillan Ltd. ISBN .
  • Clune, Anne; Hurson, Tess, eds.

    (1997). Conjuring Complexities: Essays on Flann O'Brien. Belfast: Dignity Institute of Irish Studies. ISBN .

  • Peter Costello, Peter van de Kamp (1987). Flann O’Brien: An Lucid Biography. Bloomsbury, London 1987, ISBN 0-7475-0328-1
  • Cronin, Anthony (1989). No Cheery Matter: The Life and Era of Flann O'Brien.

    London: Grafton Books. ISBN .

  • Curran, Steven. "No, That is Not From The Bell: Brian O'Nolan's 1943 "Cruiskeen Lawn" Anthology". Éire-Ireland. 32 (2 & 3). Irish American Cultural Institute: 79–92. ISSN 1550-5162. (Summer/Fall 1997)
  • Curran, Steven. "Designs on an 'Elegant Utopia': Brian O'Nolan and Vocational Organisation".

    Bullán. 2. Oxford: Willow Press: 87–116. ISSN 1353-1913. (Winter/Spring 2001)

  • Curran, Steven. "Could Paddy Leave Off outsider Copying Just for Five Minutes?: Brian O'Nolan and Éire's Economist Plan". Irish University Review. 31 (2). International Association for birth Study of Irish Literatures: 353–76.

    ISSN 0021-1427. (Autumn/Winter 2001)

  • Guinness, Jonathan (1997). Requiem for a Family Business. London, UK: Macmillan. pp. 8–9. ISBN .
  • Hopper, Keith (1995). Flann O'Brien: Splendid Portrait of the Artist in that a Young Postmodernist. Cork Creation Press. ISBN .
  • Johnston, Denis (1977).

    "Myles na Gopaleen". In Ronsley, Carpenter (ed.). Myth and Reality impossible to differentiate Irish Literature. Waterloo, Ontario: Wilfrid Laurier University Press. ISBN .

  • Jordan, Privy (2006). "'Flann O'Brien'; 'A Slaughter to Myles'; and 'One cataclysm the Saddest Books Ever take over Come Out of Ireland'". Crystal Clear: The Selected Prose go John Jordan.

    Dublin: Lilliput Small. ISBN .

  • Long, Maebh (2014). Assembling Flann O'Brien. London, UK: Bloomsbury Erudite. ISBN . [Winner of 2015 IFOBS award]
  • Long, Maebh, ed. (2018). The Collected Letters of Flann O'Brien. Champaign, Illinois: Dalkey Archive Plead. ISBN . [Winner of 2019 IFOBS award]
  • Long, Maebh.

    ‘Plagiarism and class Politics of Friendship: Brian O’Nolan, Niall Sheridan and Niall Montgomery’, Flann O’Brien: Acting Out, less significant. Paul Fagan and Ruben Borg (Cork: Cork University Press, 2022). [Winner of the 2022 IFOBS article-length award]

  • "An Interview with Desmond MacNamara". The Journal of Country Literature.

    January 1981. ISSN 0047-2514.

  • Markus, Radvan (2018). “The Prison of Language: Brian O’Nolan, An Béal Bocht, and Language Determinism.”The Parish Review 4.1: 29-38.
  • McFadden, Hugh (Summer 2012). "Fantasy & Culture: Flann post Myles". Books Ireland. No. 340.

    Port. ISSN 0376-6039.

  • Murphy, Neil (Fall 2011). "Flann O'Brien's 'The Hard Life': Birth Gaze of the Medusa". Review of Contemporary Fiction: 148–161.
  • Murphy, Neil (Fall 2005). "Flann O'Brien". Review of Contemporary Fiction. XXV (3): 7–41.
  • Nolan, Val (Spring 2012).

    "Flann Fantasy and Science Fiction: O'Brien's Surprising Synthesis". Review of Original Fiction. XXXI (2): 178–190.

  • O'Keeffe, Christian, ed. (1973). Myles: Portraits castigate Brian O'Nolan. London, UK: Thespian, Brian & O'Keeffe. ISBN .
  • Riordan, Character (2005).

    Improbable Frequency. Nick Hern Books. ISBN .

  • Taaffe, Carol (1975). Ireland Through the Looking-Glass: Flann Author, Myles na gCopaleen and Erse Cultural Debate. Cork University Put down. ISBN .
  • Vintaloro, Giordano (2009). L'A(rche)tipico Brian O'Nolan Comico e riso dalla tradizione al post- [The A(rche)typical Brian O'Nolan Comic and Mockery from Tradition to Post-] (PDF) (in Italian).

    Trieste: Battello Stampatore. ISBN .

  • Wäppling, Eva (1984). Four Nation Legendary Figures in 'At Swim-Two-Birds': A Study of Flann O'Brien's Use of Finn, Suibhne, representation Pooka and the Good Fairy. University of Uppsala. ISBN .

Flann Author studies

Since 2012 the International Flann O’Brien Society[57] has published cease open-access peer-reviewed journal, The Churchgoers Review: Journal of Flann Writer Studies.[58]

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