McGahern, John (1934–2006)

Irish novelist. He won early acclaim for The Barracks (1963), a study of the mind of a dying woman. His books explore Irish settings and the effects of the political situation of the country on its people, as in Amongst Women (1990), about an ageing member of the IRA.

Other works include the novels The Dark (1965), The Leavetaking (1974), The Pornographer (1980), High Ground (1985), and That They May Face the Rising Sun (2001); the short-story collections Nightlines (1970), Getting Through (1978), and High Ground (1985); and an autobiography, Memoir (2005).

Born in Dublin, McGahern grew up in Cootehill, County Cavan, and later returned to Dublin to attend University College. Originally a primary school teacher, McGahern travelled in the UK, Spain, and the USA, eventually settling in County Leitrim. He lectured frequently in the USA, becoming professor of literature at Colgate University, New York, where he taught in 1969, 1972, 1978, and 1980.