León Ó Broin (10 November 1902 – 26 February 1990) was an
Irish civil servant, known as a writer and playwright. He wrote many plays, stories and historical works in both
Irish and English.
Life
He was born in
Dublin
Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...
, and joined
Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin ( ; ; ) is an Irish republican and democratic socialist political party active in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
The History of Sinn Féin, original Sinn Féin organisation was founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffit ...
and
Fianna Éireann
Na Fianna Éireann (The Fianna of Ireland), known as the Fianna ("Soldiers of Ireland"), is an Irish nationalist youth organisation founded by Constance Markievicz in 1909, with later help from Bulmer Hobson. Fianna members were involved in se ...
while still at school.
He was imprisoned in 1921 and 1922 and afterwards joined the
Free State army as a non-combatant. In 1924 he was the first Administrative Officer appointed by the new Free State civil service, where he worked mainly in the Department of Finance. He was Secretary of the Department of Posts and Telegraphs from 1948 to 1967.
Together with
Frank Duff he formed the Pillar of Fire Society in 1942, for Catholic-Jewish dialogue, after rumours about the killing of Jews in Europe starting coming through to Ireland. He presented a paper at the first meeting, helped by a Jewish colleague and friend, Laurence Elyan.
Writings
Books in Irish
*''Arus na nGábhadh agus Scéalta Eile'' (Dublin 1923)
*''Ag Strachadh leis an Saol agus Scéalta Eile'' (Dublin 1929)
*''An Rún agus Scéalta Eile'' (Dublin 1933)
*''Parnell'' (Dublin: Oifig an tSoláthair 1937)
*''Miss Crookshank agus Emmet'' (Dublin: Sairseal & Dill 1954)
*''Miss Crookshank agus Coirp Eile'' (Dublin: Sairseal & Dill 1951)
*''Comhcheilg sa Chaisleán'' (Dublin 1963)
*''Na Sasanaigh agus Eirí Amach na Cásca'' (Dublin: Sáirséal agus Dill 1967).
*''An Maidíneach: Staraí na nÉireannach Aontaithe'' (Dublin 1971)
Plays
*''Slan Muirisg'' (1944)
*''An Boisgín Ceoil'' (1945)
*''An Oíche úd i mBeithil'' (1949).
Translations
*''An Fuadach'' (1931) ''Kidnapped'' by R L Stevenson
*''Cogadh na Reann'' (1934) '' War of the Worlds'' by H.G. Wells
Books in English
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
See also
*
Parnell Commission
The Parnell Commission, officially Special Commission on Parnellism and Crime, was a judicial inquiry in the late 1880s into allegations of crimes by Irish parliamentarian Charles Stewart Parnell which resulted in his vindication.
Background
On ...
The conspiracy case written about by Ó Broin.
*
Irish History
The first evidence of human presence in Ireland dates to around 34,000 years ago, with further findings dating the presence of ''Homo sapiens'' to around 10,500 to 7,000 BC. The receding of the ice after the Younger Dryas cold phase of the Qua ...
References
External links
Broadcasting the Angelus bell
{{DEFAULTSORT:Obroin, Leon
1902 births
1990 deaths
20th-century Irish male writers
Irish-language writers
Irish Republican Army (1919–1922) members
People of the Irish Civil War (Pro-Treaty side)
Irish male non-fiction writers
Irish male short story writers
Members of the Royal Irish Academy
20th-century Irish short story writers
Writers from Dublin (city)
Civil servants from Dublin (city)
20th-century Irish non-fiction writers