(Strabane October 5, 1911 – Dublin April 1, 1966). Flann O'Brien is considered a major figure in twentieth century Irish literature. His real name was Brian O’Nolan (Brian Ó Núalláin) His English novels appeared under the name of Flann O’Brien, while his great Irish novel and his newspaper column (which appeared from 1940 to 1966) were signed Myles na gCopaleen.
	One of twelve brothers and sisters, he was born in 1911 in Strabane, County Tyrone, into an Irish-speaking family.  The family moved frequently during O’Brien’s childhood, finally settling in Dublin in 1925. Four years later O’Brien took up study in University College Dublin. He graduated with an MA (his thesis was on Irish poetry) in 1935, at which point he joined the civil service. His works were influenced by the every day life of Dublin, Irish culture and Irish society. For more than thirty years he wrote a column Cruiskeen Lawn for the Irish Times.
He was using different pseudonyms for much of his writing, including short stories, essays, and letters to editors, which has rendered a complete cataloging of his writings an almost impossible task.
Works
As "Myles na gCopaleen" The Cruiskeen Lawn columns have been published in a series of collections: The Best of Myles The Hair of the Dogma Further Cuttings from Cruiskeen Lawn Flann O'Brien At War: 1940-1945 Myles Away from Dublin Myles Before Myles At War As "Flann O'Brien" At Swim-Two-Birds An Béal Bocht - (Irish: 1941, English: 1973) The Dalkey Archive (1964) The Third Policeman -  (1939-40, published 1968) The Hard Life