Ireland is famous for its writers, poets, artists, sculptors and musicians. They come from every county on the island. In this Literary Trail Through Ireland, Mary Angland looks at just some of the gifted people we have been, and still are, blessed with.

 

To many people, Frank O’Connor is the greatest exponent of the short story. Who can forget his poignant, harrowing ‘Guests of the Nation’ set during the War of Independence? This story and the hilarious ‘First Confession’ were among the many gems published in Exploring English, the book of short stories many of us of a certain vintage studied for our Intermediate Certificate.

Frank O’Connor was born Michael O’Donovan in Cork in September 1903, an only child. He adored his mother, who had a huge influence on him, but despised his father, an alcoholic, unable to keep down a regular job because of his drinking.

In addition, he-ill treated his wife, the main breadwinner of the household who cleaned houses to support the family. For the rest of his life, O’Connor held a grievance against his father for the abuse both he and his mother suffered at his hands.

O’Connor attended St. Patrick’s Primary School in Gardiner’s Hill where one of his teachers was the writer, Daniel Corkery, who had a hugely positive influence on him. After leaving primary school, he attended the North Monastery Secondary School. During these years, after the executions of the leaders of the 1916 Rebellion, the political situation was extremely volatile leading the nationalist O’Connor, while still in his teens, to join The First Brigade of the Irish Republican Army (IRA).

He took part in the War of Independence (1919/21) and was strongly opposed to the Treaty won by fellow Cork man, Michael Collins, and fought against it in the bitter Civil War which followed.
By early 1923, O’Connor was a prisoner of the Free State in Cork City Gaol before being moved to Gormanstown in County Meath from where he was released just before Christmas, 1923.

Continue reading in this week’s Ireland’s Own