Word: gopaleen
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Dates: during 1976-1976
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...MYLES NA GOPALEEN (alias Flann O'Brien, born. Brian Nolan, self-Irished to Brian O'Nolan, Gaelicized by his publishers to Brian O'Nauallain) notes sadly in the foreword to the third edition of An Beal Bocht that few are still interested in preserving Gaelic tales and tradition, as proved by the fact that no one reads his book. Non-Gaelic-speaking Gaeligores (those enthusiastic about Irish language and literature) should be glad An Beal Bocht, first printed in Ireland in 1941, is finally available in an English translation true to the mocking wit of the original...
CRITICS LIKE BENSTOCK, Cockburn and even Niall Sheridan, mutual friend of O'Brien and Joyce, seem to regret O'Nolan's other identities: as Myles na Gopaleen, columnist for the Irish Times, and as Brian O'Nolan, civil servant (until he was fired for his opinions in the Times). Sheridan wrote of O'Nolan that perhaps "the demands of journalism syphoned off piecemeal his enormous creative vitality...
They did. The Best of Myles (1968) a selection of na Gopaleen's columns in Irish, French and English, gathers together some of the funniest and most incisive pieces of creative vitality ever in newsprint. Critics and fans of Flann resent Myles, O'Nolan's 'unfortunate literary identity,' a jester who distracted the aforementioned Dublin politicoaesthetes while the creative artist tried vainly tc work behind the scenes in his spare time. But perhaps O'Nolan himself, whose writing is always for and of the Irish public, thought his journalism as valid as his novels...
Adding The Poor Mouth ("edited" by na Gopaleen) to The Best of Myles, it's an open question whether Myles isn't the best of O'Nolan. The Gaelic novel is not only written for and of the Gales, but also purports to be by one-a certain Bonaparte O'Coonassa. But the credit transparently belongs to Myles, the columnist concerned about the so-called preservation of Gaelic Ireland, and the satirist who could mock things Gaelic as he lamented their passing, even making fun of his own concerns. All simultaneously, and in the language of the issue, the "Gaeltacht...
...Poor Mouth defines, explains, satirizes and defends "Gaelic". Pick up the book for the simple pleasures of the story and in the two hours it takes to read it you'll come to abominate the word Gaelic but identify with the essence. Na Gopaleen's wit cuts through the affectations and facile enthusiams of all Gaeligores and gives a glimpse of "the world as seen by the folk in Corkadoragha", a remote "Gaeltacht". Though in the preface to the first edition, "The Editor" cautions that Corkadoragha is "without compare" and not to be taken as representative of the Gaelic community...