The Modern Novel

Biography

Flann O’Brien was born in 1911 in Strabane in County Tyrone, in the North of Ireland, as Brian O’Nolan. His father was a customs officer but also very pro-Irish and he brought up his family speaking Irish. As there were few schools offering teaching in Irish, much of his children’s education was at home. When O’Brien was twelve, his father was transferred to Dublin and O’Brien started attending school. While at school, he and his brothers started writing to the papers, pretending to be various people. When he did this much later in life, it led to his getting a position as a newspaper columnist with the Irish Times under the name Myles na gCopaleen. Meanwhile he had taken a degree at University College in English, Irish and German. He passed the civil service exam and worked in local government for eighteen years. His first novel, At Swim-Two-Birds, had limited success till it was published in the United States in 1940. It is now recognised as one of the great Irish novels. During his lifetime, he was best known for his newspaper column, where he satirised everyone from politicians to writers. This indeed led to his losing his job, when he criticised a government minister but, by this time, he was an alcoholic and his work was losing its touch. He died of cancer in 1966.

Books about Flann O’Brien

Peter Costello and Peter van de Kamp: Flann O’Brien: An Illustrated Biography
Anthony Cronin: No Laughing Matter: The Life and Times of Flann O’Brien
Ciaran O Nuallain, The Early Years of Brian O’Nolan / Flann O’Brien / Myles na gCopaleen

Other links

Flann O’Brien
Flann O’Brien (1911-1966)
Truth is an odd number, and Death is a full stop. Flann O’Brien – Ireland’s comic Genius
Pearly Gates (links and a few excerpts)