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The Finest Stories of Padraic O Conaire
This collection, the first representative translation of his work, contains 15 of his greatest short stories including M'Asal Beag Dubh, beloved of generations of schoolchildren.Padraic 6 Conaire was born in Galway in 1882, brought up in the Connemara Gaeltacht and educated there and at Rockwell and Blackrock Colleges. After some years at sea he joined the British Civil Service and was stationed in London (where he taught in the Gaelic League during his spare time) until 1914, when he resigned and returned to Ireland to devote the rest of his life to writing.One of the few 20th century writers in Irish to catch the popular imagination, he died in 1928 in the Richmond Hospital, Dublin, leaving as his sole material possessions his pipe, some tobacco, and an apple.
- GenresIrish Literature
192 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 1986
About the author
Pádraic Ó Conaire
64 books10 followersÓ Conaire was born in Galway in 1882. His father was a publican, who owned two premises in the town. His mother was Kate McDonagh.
After the collapse of his business, his father was forced to emigrate to the United States of America, where he died shortly afterwards. Ó Conaire's mother died in 1893, with the result that the orphaned Ó Conaire (and his brothers Isaac and Michael) were sent to live with their uncle Patrick Conroy in Ros Muc. He attended school in Turlach Beag, having previously gone to the Presentation Convent and The 'Bish' in Galway. He subsequently he went to Rockwell College and Blackrock College.
He emigrated to London in 1899 where he got a job with the Board of Education. He became involved in the work of the Gaelic League. A pioneer in the Irish Literary Revival in this century, Ó Conaire and Pádraig Pearse are regarded as being the two most important Irish language short story writers during the first decades of the 20th century.
He was married to Molly Ní Mhanais, with whom he had four children: Eileen (born 22 February 1905), Patrick (born 3 November 1906), Kathleen (born 24 February 1909, and Mary Josephine (28 July 1911–1922) who died of diphtheria.
Ó Conaire returned to Ireland in 1914, leaving his family in London. Living mostly in Galway, he earned a meagre living through writing, teaching at Gaeltacht summer schools, and as an occasional organiser for the Gaelic League.
He died on a visit to Dublin in 1928 after complaining of internal pains while at the head office of the Gaelic League. He was 46.
A statue to his memory was erected in 1935 in the John F. Kennedy Memorial Park in the heart of Galway City, at Eyre Square Eyre Square.
After the collapse of his business, his father was forced to emigrate to the United States of America, where he died shortly afterwards. Ó Conaire's mother died in 1893, with the result that the orphaned Ó Conaire (and his brothers Isaac and Michael) were sent to live with their uncle Patrick Conroy in Ros Muc. He attended school in Turlach Beag, having previously gone to the Presentation Convent and The 'Bish' in Galway. He subsequently he went to Rockwell College and Blackrock College.
He emigrated to London in 1899 where he got a job with the Board of Education. He became involved in the work of the Gaelic League. A pioneer in the Irish Literary Revival in this century, Ó Conaire and Pádraig Pearse are regarded as being the two most important Irish language short story writers during the first decades of the 20th century.
He was married to Molly Ní Mhanais, with whom he had four children: Eileen (born 22 February 1905), Patrick (born 3 November 1906), Kathleen (born 24 February 1909, and Mary Josephine (28 July 1911–1922) who died of diphtheria.
Ó Conaire returned to Ireland in 1914, leaving his family in London. Living mostly in Galway, he earned a meagre living through writing, teaching at Gaeltacht summer schools, and as an occasional organiser for the Gaelic League.
He died on a visit to Dublin in 1928 after complaining of internal pains while at the head office of the Gaelic League. He was 46.
A statue to his memory was erected in 1935 in the John F. Kennedy Memorial Park in the heart of Galway City, at Eyre Square Eyre Square.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
May 7, 2018
I’d never heard of Padraic OConnaire until we visited his home of Galway. As there’s a statue of him there, he peaked my interest. LOVED these stories – well written humor and tragedy – usually all in the same story!
May 6, 2012
Enjoyed these much more than P.H. Pearse's short stories. The characters are more rounded and developed and the psychological development of the Irish speaking characters are very interesting. O Conaire seems concerned with the displaced Irish speaker and I think he confronts elements of that theme in ways no Irish writer was able to before his writings.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews