Maurice walsh biography
•
Maurice Walsh
Irish writer
For the translator Maurice Walshe, see Digha Nikaya.
Maurice Walsh (2 May 1879 – 18 February 1964) was an Irish novelist, now best known for his short story "The Quiet Man", later made into the Oscar-winning film The Quiet Man, directed bygd John Ford and starring John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara. He was one of Ireland's best-selling authors in the 1930s.
A new musical based on his novel, Castle Gillian,[2] is currently in development by Victor Kazan (Book & Lyrics), Kevin Purcell (Music) and Mark Buys (Dance Music).
Life
[edit]Maurice Walsh was born on or about 21 April 1879, in the townland of Ballydonoghue, nära Listowel, County Kerry, Ireland.[3][4] He was the third of ten children and the first son born to John Walsh, a local farmer, and his wife, Elizabeth Buckley, who lived in a three-roomed thatched farmhouse.
•
A lost legend of Irish literature—Maurice Walsh and ephemeral fame
Tony Canavan
Maurice Walsh (1879–1964) is now best known for his short story ‘The Quiet Man’, which was made into an Oscar-winning film, directed by John Ford and starring John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara. In the 1930s he was one of Ireland’s best-selling authors, and even had Ernest Hemmingway as a fan. He wrote twenty novels and a large number of short stories, many set in Scotland or the west of Ireland, reflecting a rural ideal that was fast disappearing. His novels were immensely popular, being translated into Italian, Danish, French, German and Flemish. Walsh worked for Customs and Excise in Scotland, spending much of his time in the Highlands, monitoring whisky distilleries, and his writing emphasised the historic and cultural links between Ireland and Scotland. In 1922 he transferred to the excise service of the newly formed Irish Free State and moved to Dublin. Walsh was an ardent supporter of the
•
Reference Code: IE 2135 P7
Title: The Maurice Walsh Papers
Dates: 1906-1974
Extent: 21 standard boxes and 1 outsize box (372 files)
Download PDF catalogue here
Context
Name of Creator(s): Walsh, Maurice (1879-1964).
Administrative/ Biographical History: Maurice Walsh was born in the townland of Ballydonoghue, near Lisselton, in the north of county Kerry on 21 April 1879, the eldest son and one of the ten children of John Walsh and Elizabeth Buckley. It is notable that his home area is near Listowel, which has produced two other important writers – Bryan McMahon and John B. Keane. John Walsh (Maurice’s father) was a farmer and a devoted reader, and both he and Michael Dillon, a teacher at the local national school, cultivated Maurice’s interest in books from an early age. After primary school, Walsh attended St. Michael’s College in Listowel, and in 1901 he joined the civil service, becoming a customs and excise officer. After brief postings in Ireland (