David Profumo
Life of O’Brien
Flann O'Brien: An Illustrated Biography
By Peter Costello and Peter van de Kamp
Bloomsbury 159pp £14.95 order from our bookshop
He was born in Paddington station, became tutor to Einstein, honorary valet to the Duke of Edinburgh, and President of Ireland. He was had up for smuggling and was a musical genius. He was born in Paris in 1891, 'a connoisseur of potheen and stirabout'. For almost twenty-five years he contributed a column to the Irish Times, and his name was Myles na gCopaleen. In the boozers of Dublin still dwells his spirit.
His creator was Brian O'Nolan (aka Flann O'Brien, Brother Barnabas, The O'Blather, George Knowall or John Hackett) who, as well as being a legendary satirist was the author of novels, stories and plays that dash porter in the face of Irish society, stab Joyce in the backside and offer a
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