The O'Brien Press is an independent Irish publishing house based in Dublin. Founded in 1974 by Michael O'Brien, the company has become best known for its focus on children's literature and adult non-fiction.

History

The O'Brien Press emerged from a family-run printing business and released its first titles in 1974 - a biography of

Peadar O'Donnell Peadar O'Donnell (; 22 February 1893 – 13 May 1986) was one of the foremost radicals of 20th-century Ireland. O'Donnell became prominent as an Irish republican, socialist politician and writer. Early life Peadar O'Donnell was born into an I ...

, and

Éamonn MacThomáis Eamonn or Éamon or Eamon may refer to: * Eamonn (given name), an Irish male given name * Eamon (singer) (born 1983), American R&B singer-songwriter and harmonicist * ''Eamon'' (video game), a 1980 computer role-playing game for the Apple II *" Éa ...

's first book ''Me Jewel and Darlin' Dublin''. During the 1990s, O'Brien Press expanded into children's publishing, launching influential titles like '' Under the Hawthorn Tree'' by

Marita Conlon-McKenna Marita Conlon-McKenna (born 5 November 1956) is an Irish author of children's books and adult fiction. She is best known for her Famine-era historical children's book '' Under the Hawthorn Tree'', the first book of the ''Children of the Famine'' ...

, a landmark in Irish children's literature. The company adopted digital workflows early and maintained its independence despite acquisition offers from major publishing groups.

Achievements

The company helped launch the career of

Eoin Colfer Eoin Colfer (; born 14 May 1965) is an Irish author of children's books. He worked as a primary school teacher before he became a full-time writer. He is best known for being the author of the ''Artemis Fowl'' series. In September 2008, Colf ...

, publishing his early '' Benny Shaw'' series and '' The Wish List (novel)''. It also published ''The General'' by Paul Williams, which was later adapted into

The General (1998 film) ''The General'' is a 1998 crime film written and directed by John Boorman about Dublin crime boss Martin Cahill, who undertook several daring heists in the early 1980s and attracted the attention of the Garda Síochána, Irish Republican Army ...

. O'Brien publications have won multiple awards at the KPMG Children's Books Ireland Awards over the years. Several titles have also been selected for the prestigious White Ravens list by the

International Youth Library The International Youth Library (IYL) (, IJB) in Munich is a library that specializes in the collection of children and youth literature from around the world in order to make them available to the public, focusing on the international community. ...

, recognising outstanding international children's and youth literature.

Brandon Imprint

The Brandon imprint, originally founded by Steve McDonogh, was acquired by O'Brien Press after McDonogh's death. Brandon has published works by

Gerry Adams Gerard Adams (; born 6 October 1948) is a retired Irish Republican politician who was the president of Sinn Féin between 13 November 1983 and 10 February 2018, and served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for Louth from 2011 to 2020. From 1983 to 19 ...

, Mary Morrissy,

Alice Taylor (writer) Alice Taylor (born 28 February 1938) is an Irish writer and novelist particularly known for her nostalgia works looking back at life in a small village. Life and career Born 28 February 1938 on a farm in Lisdangan, Newmarket in North Cork. Sh ...

and

Frank McGuinness Professor Frank McGuinness (born 1953) is an Irish writer. As well as his own plays, which include '' The Factory Girls'', '' Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme'', '' Someone Who'll Watch Over Me'' and '' Dolly West's Kitche ...

Legacy

In 2023, the company donated its extensive publishing archive of manuscripts, artwork and early editions to the

National Library of Ireland The National Library of Ireland (NLI; ) is Ireland's national library located in Dublin, in a building designed by Thomas Newenham Deane. The mission of the National Library of Ireland is "To collect, preserve, promote and make accessible the ...

, to mark its 50th anniversary and to preserve its legacy for future generations.

Notable Authors

* Judi Curtin *

Pat Ingoldsby Patrick Ingoldsby (25 August 1942 – 1 March 2025) was an Irish poet and television presenter. He hosted children's television shows, wrote plays for the stage and for radio, published books of short stories and was a newspaper columnist. From ...

* Paul Howard (aka

Ross O'Carroll-Kelly Ross O'Carroll-Kelly is a satirical fictional Irish character, a wealthy South County Dublin rugby union jock created by journalist Paul Howard. The character first appeared in a January 1998 column in the ''Sunday Tribune'' newspaper and late ...

) * Oisín McGann * Anna Carey *

Conor Kostick Conor Kostick (born 26 June 1964) is a historian and writer living in Dublin. He is the author of many works of history and fiction. A former chairperson of the Irish Writers Union and member of the board of the National Library of Ireland, he ...

* Elizabeth Shaw * Gerry Hunt *

Daniel O'Donnell Daniel Francis Noel O'Donnell, MBE (born 12 December 1961) is an Irish singer, television presenter and philanthropist. After rising to public attention in 1983, he has since become a household name in Ireland and Britain; he has also had co ...

Shay Healy Shay Healy (29 March 1943 – 9 April 2021) was an Irish songwriter, broadcaster and journalist. He is best known for his role as host of ''Nighthawks'', a RTÉ Television chat show of the late 1980s and early 1990s, and for composing " What's ...

Brendan O'Carroll Brendan O'Carroll (born 17 September 1955) is an Irish actor, comedian, director, producer and writer. He is best known for portraying foul-mouthed matriarch List of Mrs. Brown's Boys characters#Agnes Brown, Agnes Brown on stage and in the BBC a ...

* Elizabeth Shaw (artist) * Gerard Whelan *

Maureen Potter Maria Philomena Potter (3 January 1925 – 7 April 2004), known as Maureen Potter, was an Irish singer, actress, comedienne and performer. Early life Potter was born in Dublin and educated at St. Mary's school in Fairview. She had a long caree ...

Feargal Quinn Feargal Quinn (27 November 1936 – 24 April 2019) was an Irish businessman, politician and television personality. He founded the Superquinn supermarket chain and served as a Senator for the National University constituency from 1993 to 2016. ...

References

External links

* {{Authority control Book publishing companies of Ireland