| Ulick O'Connor | |
|---|---|
| Born | Ulick O'Connor 1928 Rathgar, County Dublin, Ireland |
| Occupation | Biographer, Poet |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Period | 2004 - Present |
| Genres | Irish History, Poetry, Drama, Biography, Diary, literary criticism |
| Notable work(s) | See 'Published works' |
Ulick O'Connor (born 1928[1]) is an Irish writer, historian and critic.
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Born in Rathgar, County Dublin in 1928, O'Connor attended St. Mary's College, Rathmines and later University College Dublin, where he studied law and philosophy, becoming known as a keen sporting participant, especially in boxing, rugby and cricket, as well as a distinguished debater – during his time there he was an active member of the Literary and Historical Society. He subsequently studied at Loyola University, New Orleans.
After practising at the Irish Bar in Dublin, O'Connor spent time as a critic before turning to writing. His work has spanned areas such as biography, poetry, Irish history, drama, diary, and literary criticism.
He is a well-known intellectual figure in contemporary Irish affairs and has expressed strong opinions against censorship and the war on drugs. He contributes a regular poetry column to Irish daily the Evening Herald, has also written a column for the Sunday Mirror and a sporting column for the Sunday Times, as well as broadcasting on RTE.
His best known writing is his biographies of Oliver St. John Gogarty, Brendan Behan, his studies of the early twentieth-century Irish troubles and the Irish Literary Revival.
He is also known for the autobiographical "The Ulick O’Connor Diaries 1970-1981: A Cavalier Irishman (2001)", which details his encounters with well-known Irish and international figures, ranging from political (Jack Lynch and Paddy Devlin) to the artistic (Christy Brown and Peter Sellers). It also documents the progress of the Peace Process during the same time, and the progress of the Northern Ireland Assembly. Although he has travelled extensively, O'Connor still lives in his parental home in Dublin's Rathgar. He is a member of Aosdána.[2]
O'Connor's great-grandfather was Matt Harris, Land Leaguer, Fenian, and Irish Parliamentary Party Member of Parliament. He is related to US Actor Carroll O'Connor.