George O'Brien (writer) facts for kids

George O'Brien, born on February 14, 1945, in Enniscorthy, County Wexford, is an Irish writer and academic. He is especially known for writing memoirs, which are like personal stories about his own life.

George O'Brien's Early Life

George O'Brien grew up in Lismore, County Waterford. His grandmother raised him after his mother passed away. He went to school at St. Augustine College in Dungarvan.

In 1962, George moved to Dublin to live with his father and stepmother. He studied to become an electronic engineer at the College of Technology, Kevin Street, which is now part of the Dublin Institute of Technology. He also worked as an apprentice photographer. Later, he moved to London and took on various jobs, like working as a barman or selling encyclopedias.

George O'Brien's College Years

George continued his education at Ruskin College in Oxford starting in 1968. In 1970, he moved to Warwick University. There, he earned a Bachelor's degree in English and American Literature in 1973. He later completed his PhD in 1980.

George O'Brien as a Professor

After finishing his studies, George O'Brien began teaching. He taught at the University of Birmingham in 1974 and at Clare College, Cambridge in 1975. From 1976 to 1980, he lectured at Warwick University.

He then moved across the Atlantic Ocean to the United States. From 1980 to 1984, he was a visiting assistant professor at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie. In 1984, he joined Georgetown University in Washington. He became an associate professor and then a full professor of English, where he still teaches today.

George O'Brien's Books

George O'Brien is well-known for his memoirs. These books share stories and memories from his own life.

His memoirs include:

• The Village of Longing: An Irish Boyhood in the Fifties (published in 1987)
• Dancehall Days, or Love in Dublin (published in 1988)
• Out of Our Minds (published in 1994)

He has also written studies about the Irish playwright Brian Friel. George O'Brien also helped to edit The Ireland Anthology with Sean Dunne. His book, The Village of Longing, won the Irish Book Awards silver medal and the John Eddeyrn Hughes Prize. George O'Brien has also written articles about literature for the Irish Times newspaper.

More Information

• George O'Brien's biography at Irish Writers Online
• Out of Our Minds, book review
• Professor George O'Brien; listing at Georgetown University