Life
1930-1990; b. Inishmore, Aran Islands, b. Inishmore, son of school-teacher
whose sis was the mother of Liam O’Flaherty; ed. Coláiste
Einde, Galway, and UCG; ; dropped out of college; worked on building sites
in England, and on fishing-trawlers out of Grimsby; also as farm-labourer
in East Anglia and a travelling bookseller in Ireland; became Irish Editor
to Irish Press, 1957-63, and Irish lang. ed. for Sairséal
agus Dill; wrote a column for Sunday Press; edited Comhar;
established national presence as RTÉ Television sports broadcaster,
covering GAA; wrote films and newsreels for Gael-Linn; lived in Germany
and France for some years prior to death; commuted for radio and television
work; contributed column to the Irish Times; issued Thar Ghealchathair
Soir (1973); Lig Sinn i gCathú (1976, rep. 1984), a
bawdy novel about Galway undergraduate life, and English translation of
same as Lead Us Into Temptation (1978), and in German as Führe
uns in Veruchung (1985); Willie the Plain Pint agus an Pápa
(1977); Over the Bar (Swords: Poolbeg 1984), a personal account
of the GAA; Sionnach Ar Mo Dhuán (1988), a second novel,
depicted sex frankly; also irreverent The Begrudger’s Guide to
Irish Politics (1986); his distinctive, high-pitched ‘voice’
used by Brendan Behan in The Quare Fellow for commentary on hanging
of the Kirwan-character; An Aran Reader (1991), was compiled by Ó
hEithir and brought to completion by his son Ruairí on his death.
DIW OCIL
[ top ]
Works
Reps. incl. Over the Bar (Swords: Poolbeg 1984; rep. Cork: Collins Press 2005).
[ top ]
Criticism
Kevin Casey, ‘Paddywhackery’; Léirmheas ar Lead Us
Not into Temptation le Breandán Ó hEither (Hibernia,
5 Oct. 1978); Alan Harrison, ‘Go dté tú slán’,
review of Lig Sinn I gCathú, in Nua-Aois (1976),
pp.59-70; Brendan Kennelly, ‘Martin’s Progress’, review
of Lead Us Not Into Temptation, in Irish Times (7 Oct. 1978);
Vincent Lawrence, ‘Good ... but Obvious’, review of Lead
Us Into Temptation, in Sunday Press (8 Oct. 1978); Éanna
Mac Cába, ‘touching on a Raw nerve’, review of Sionnach
ar Mo Duán, in The Sunday Press (26 Feb 1989); Prionsias Ó
Drisceoil, ‘Lead Us Not Into Shenanigans’, review of Sionnach
ar mo Dhuán in Irish Times (14 Eanáir 1989).,
Muiris Ó Droigheáin, ‘Fealsúnacht Fágálaigh’,
review of Lig sinn I gCathú, in An tUltach (Meitheamh
1976); Aindreas Ó Gallchobhair, ‘O hEithir, Major Step Forward’,
review of Sionnach ar no Dhuán, in Alpha (13 April
1989); Tadhg Ó Dushláine, ‘Odaisé an Chraiceálaí
Poitín’, review of Sionnach ar mo Dhuán, in Comhar (Aibreán 1989); Liam Mac Con Iomaire, Breandán
Ó hEithir: Iomramh Aonair (Cló Iar-Chonnacta 2000),
729pp. [For some listings of further reviews, see Alan Titley, An tÚrscéal
Gaeilge, 1991.]
See also [Anthony] Riordan, ‘Old School Tie-ups’, review of Sionnach [... et al.], in Sunday Tribune (12 Feb. 1989); Séamus Martin, review of Liam Mac Con Iomaire, Breandán Ó hEithir: Iomramh Aonair (Cló Iar-Chonnacta 2000), in Irish Times (18 Nov. 2000) [infra].
[ top ]
Commentary
Séamus Martin, review of Liam Mac Con
Iomaire, Breandán Ó hEithir: Iomramh Aonair (Cló
Iar-Chonnacta 2000), in Irish Times (18 Nov. 2000); notes “Faoileán
Árainn” [prog.] on TnG4, marking 10th anniversary of his death,
and this biography [trans., ‘Solitary Oarsman’]; b. Inishmore,
son of school-teacher mother, sis. of Liam O’Flaherty; dealt unmercifully
with politically-motivated cultural provincialism; leading current affairs
journalist with Fíche (RTE). See also Irish Times (Friday
3 Nov.), notice of book launch.
[ top ]
Notes
Namesake: Not to be confused with the scholar Brendan O Hehir who compiled Irish glossaries for Joyce (incl. Classical &c., with John Dillon) and editd Cooper's Hill of Sir John Denham in the California UP “Single Works” series.
[ top ]