At Swim Two Birds - Flann O’Brien, 1970

Brian O’Nolan created remarkable works of comic fiction writing as Flann O’Brien and Myles na gCopaleen.

At Swim Two Birds is a novel written by Brian O’Nolan under the pseudonym Flann O’Brien. Writing as Flann O’Brien he published the novels ‘The Hard Life’, ‘The Dalkey Archive’ and ‘The Third Policeman’. The novel ‘An Béal Bocht’ (The Poor Mouth) was published under the pseudonym of Myles na gCopaleen which was the name he wrote his long running column ‘Cruiskeen Lawn’ in The Irish Times newspaper.

Niall Sheridan a fellow student of Brian O’Nolan’s at University College Dublin introduces this look at the writer’s work.

The first person storyteller of ‘At Swim Two Birds’ is played by Niall Tóibín in this dramatised extract from the novel.

This episode of ‘Anthology’ was broadcast on 18 November 1970. The presenter is Niall Sheridan.

The programme is devised and presented by Niall Sheridan who was at college with Flann O’Brien. Produced and directed by Aindreas O Gallchoir the production includes studio dramatisations from O’Brien’s work performed by Niall Tóibín, Martin Dempsey, David Kelly, Arthur O’Sullivan, Chris Curran, Des Perry, John Molloy, Eamon Morrissey, Derry Power and Jim Bartley.