The life of Brian...and Myles and Flan

BRIAN O’NOLAN/Brian Ó Nualláin was the real name of the Irish writer whose work appeared under several pseudonyms, most famously Flann O’Brien and Myles na gCopaleen, but also other names, including Brother Barnabas and George Knowall. He was born 100 years ago on Wednesday: October 5th, 1911.

Under the name Myles na gCopaleen, he wrote the comical Cruiskeen Lawn column in The Irish Times from October 4th 1940 until his death in 1966. It was written partly in Irish but mostly in English. His novels At Swim-Two-Birdsand The Third Policemenhave been described as early postmodern works. These, and his other books, including The Hard Lifeand The Dalkey Archive, were written under the name Flann O'Brien. He adopted the pseudonyms largely to cloak his identity from his employer, the department of local government, to circumvent a rule forbidding civil servants from making public comment on politics, and to give full vent to his satire.

The eldest of a family of 12, O’Nolan was born in Strabane, Co Tyrone, but lived most of his life in Dublin. In adulthood, he associated with a literary and artistic group that included Patrick Kavanagh. O’Nolan became an alcoholic, as did others in the group, including Kavanagh.

As a writer, O’Nolan was influenced by James Joyce, and took part in the first Bloomsday celebrations in 1954. Joyce admired Flann O’Brien in return (it’s said that At Swim-Two-Birds was the last book Joyce read).

O’Nolan remains relevant today and his work has lost none of the deadpan humour or madcap inventiveness. He exerts a strong influence on modern writers. He was recently described in The Irish Times as “a kind of literary Boomtown Rat” by Joseph O’Connor, the poet Paul Muldoon wrote that “you can still rely on Myles for a reality check”, and Roddy Doyle recalled the youthful summer when he “fell in love with my city and read Flann O’Brien“.

A number of events – organised by Irish and international “Flannoracs” – will be held over the coming days and weeks to celebrate this great Irish writer.

– Conor Goodman