Pioneering Irish Writer Edna O’Brien Has Died: President Michael D. Higgins Pays Tribute

The great Irish novelist Edna O’Brien has died. She was aged 93.

Widely regarded as one of Ireland’s greatest writers of the modern era, she made her initial breakthrough with her debut novel The Country Girls, published in 1960. It was enormously controversial in Ireland, moving way beyond the cliched portrayal of Irish women that was standard fare at the time. The forthright depiction of sex and sexuality in the book inevitably led to its banning, at a time when the Roman Catholic Church still exerted a huge say with the Censorship Office.

It was followed by The Lonely Girl, later titled The Girl With Green Eyes (1962) and Girls In Their Married Bliss (1964) making up a trilogy. All three were not only banned in Ireland but publicly burned, because of their descriptions of the sexual activities of the female characters.

That she was shunned by the Irish establishment may have hurt, but she carried on regardless, building a reputation as one of the finest writers of her generation – and indisputably one of the Irish greats. She published 23 works of fiction in all, with her most recent The Little Red Chairs (2015) being widely acclaimed. It was described by the novelist Philip Roth as "her masterpiece."

Among those paying tribute to Edna, following news of her death, was President Michael D. Higgins. He made the point that Edna O’Brien was key to transforming the status of women in Ireland...

“It is with great sorrow that I have heard of the passing of a dear friend of Sabina’s and mine, Edna O’Brien,” the President said.

"Enda O’Brien has been one of the outstanding writers of modern times, her work has been sought as a model all around the world.

"Edna was a fearless teller of truths, a superb writer possessed of the moral courage to confront Irish society with realities long ignored and suppressed.

"Through that deeply insightful work, rich in humanity, Edna O’Brien was one of the first writers to provide a true voice to the experiences of women in Ireland in their different generations and played an important role in transforming the status of women across Irish society.

"While the beauty of her work was immediately recognised abroad, it is important to remember the hostile reaction it provoked among those who wished for the lived experience of women to remain far from the world of Irish literature, with her books shamefully banned upon their early publication.

"Thankfully Edna O’Brien’s work is now recognised for the superb works of art which they are. As President of Ireland, I was delighted to present Edna with the Torc of the Saoi of Aosdána in 2015, and with a Presidential Distinguished Service Award in 2018. Her election as Saoi, chosen by her fellow artists, was the ultimate expression of the esteem in which her work is held.

"That work will continue to celebrate the full freedom that a writer must have, the risks and contradictions of circumstance, the release into beauty that imagination makes possible.

"May I express my deepest condolences to Edna’s children Carlo and Sasha, to her family and friends, to her follow members of Aosdána, and to all those who love her work across the world.”

"I remember reading The Country Girls as a young man," Hot Press editor Niall Stokes said, "and feeling that these were the kind of Irish women that I knew: independent, opinionated and strong. And yet, I was acutely aware of just how viciously she had been treated by the Irish establishment. Like a lot of other great writers her books were banned here – for no other reason than that they depicted Irish women as sexual beings, who were striving for a new and different kind of freedom from the diktats of the Catholic Church.

"No other Irish female writer had done this before, with such a powerful and lasting impact – and yet they were dismissed as 'filth'. It is a word that we heard a lot of in that very dark era when any kind of reference to the sex lives of Irish women was verboten.

"Edna was attacked, vilified and ostracised – but she didn't care. She was a courageous individual, who continued to produce great work. I really relished the fact that, at the age of 85, she could still produce a book as compelling as The Little Red Chairs. She was one of the greats, who paved the way for all of the brilliant women writers we have seen emerging in Ireland over the past couple of decades. They owe her a great deal – as do we all. Thank you, Edna."