An Béal Bocht

<p>Widely regarded as one of the greatest Irish-language novels of the 20th century <em>An Béal Bocht</em> is a classic satire in Irish by one of the century's great writers Myles na gCopaleen/Flann O'Brien/Brian O'Nolan. This extremely funny book with its rain-sodden peasants of Corca Dorcha who combine pretensions to proficiency in English with true caint na ndaoine in the hope of impressing the insatiable Irish-language enthusiasts was the proof that the Irish of the Revival had come of age. </p><p><br></p><p>It earned Flann O'Brien the accolade bestowed upon him by Austin Clarke: 'our Gaelic satirist' and is still a useful corrective against the native tendency to take things too seriously. As its subtitle <em>An Milleánach </em>indicates it satirises Tomás Ó Criomhthain's famous Blasket autobiography <em>An t-Oileánach</em> as well as other Gaeltacht works like <em>Caisleáin Óir</em> by Donegal writer Séamus Ó Grianna (Máire).</p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p>