John Weldon (6 September 1890 – 4 February 1963; alternatively "A. E. Weldon"), known by his pen- and stage-name Brinsley MacNamara, was an Irish writer, playwright, and the registrar of the

National Gallery of Ireland The National Gallery of Ireland () houses the national collection of Irish and European art. It is located in the centre of Dublin with one entrance on Merrion Square, beside Leinster House, and another on Clare Street, Dublin, Clare Street. It ...

. He is the author of several novels, the most well-known of which was his first, '' The Valley of the Squinting Windows'' (1918). His acting career with the

Abbey Theatre The Abbey Theatre (), also known as the National Theatre of Ireland () is a theatre in Dublin, Ireland. First opening to the public on 27 December 1904, and moved from its original building after a fire in 1951, it has remained active to the p ...

began in September 1910 with a role in R. J. Ryan's ''The Casting-out of Martin Whelan''. MacNamara is still best known for his first novel, ''The Valley of the Squinting Windows'', set in a fictional village called Garradrimna, which caused a furore in his native Westmeath on its publication. He continued to write for many years after this controversial first work, and located most of his later fiction in Garradrimna, in the Irish Midlands. Among his plays are ''The Glorious Uncertainty'' (1923) and ''Look at the Heffernans!'' (1926). His work was part of the literature event in the art competition at the

1924 Summer Olympics The 1924 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the VIII Olympiad () and officially branded as Paris 1924, were an international multi-sport event held in Paris, France. The opening ceremony was held on 5 July, but some competitions had al ...

. MacNamara married Helena Degidon, a schoolteacher, in 1920. He died at his home on Gilford Drive in

Sandymount Sandymount () is a coastal suburb in the Dublin 4 district on the Southside, Dublin, Southside of Dublin in Ireland. Etymology An early name for the area was Scal'd Hill or Scald Hill.

County Dublin County Dublin ( or ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland, and holds its capital city, Dublin. It is located on the island's east coast, within the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster. Until 1994, County Dubli ...

in February 1963.

Partial list of works

* ''The Valley of the Squinting Windows'', novel (1918) * ''In Clay and in Bronze'', novel (1919/1920), published as ''The Irishman: A Novel'' under another pseudonym, Oliver Blyth. * ''The Clanking of Chains: A Story of Sinn Fein'', novel (1919) * ''The Mirror in the Dusk'', novel (1921) * ''The Glorious Uncertainty'', play (1923) * ''Look at the Heffernans!'', play (1926) * ''The Various Lives of Marcus Igoe'', novel (1929) * ''The Smiling Faces, and other stories'', short stories (1929) * ''Return to Ebontheever'', novel (1930), reissued as ''Othello's Daughter'' (1942) * ''Margaret Gillan'', play (1933) * ''Marks and Mabel'', play (1945) * ''Some Curious People'', short stories (1945) * ''Michael Caravan'', novel (1946) * ''The Whole Story of the X.Y.Z.'', novella (1951)

References

External links

Brinsley MacNamara Papers
at the

Harry Ransom Center The Harry Ransom Center, known as the Humanities Research Center until 1983, is an archive, library, and museum at the University of Texas at Austin, specializing in the collection of literary and cultural artifacts from the Americas and Europe ...

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Macnamara, Brinsley 1890 births 1963 deaths Burials at Deans Grange Cemetery Writers from County Westmeath Writers from County Dublin Irish male novelists 20th-century Irish novelists 20th-century Irish male writers Olympic artists for Ireland People from Delvin Art competitors at the 1924 Summer Olympics