Life
1808-1835, b. Co. Kerry, ed. TCD; author of The Round Towers of Ireland
(1834), condemned by Petrie and reviewed dismissively by Moore - exciting
a defence by ‘Fr Prout’ (Sylvester Mahony); also prepared
unpublished work on Pyramids. DNB DIW RAF
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Criticism
Joseph Leerssen, Remembrance and Imagination: Patterns in the
Historical and Literary Representations of Ireland in the Nineteenth Century
(Cork UP 1996), chap. on Round Towers, esp. p.131.
Ethel Mannin, Two Studies in Integrity (London: Jarrolds 1954), pp. 160-164
Rev. Dr. Healy, [Archb. of Tuam], The Round Towers and Holy Wells of Ireland (Dublin: CTS [1898?]), 28pp.
A. P. Graves, Irish Literature and Musical Studies (1913), p.220f.
Roger Stalley, Irish Round Tower (Dublin: Country House 2000).
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Notes
John Crone, A Concise Dictionary of Irish Biography (Dublin:
Talbot 1928), remarks that he urged a phallic theory of origin, hotly
debated.
Brian Cleeve & Anne Brady, A Dictionary of Irish Writers (Dublin: Lilliput 1985) and Dictionary of National Biography note that he ‘attempted to show that [the round towers] were Buddhist remains’.
Patrick Rafroidi, Irish Literature in English, The Romantic Period, 1789-1850 (Gerrards Cross: Colin Smythe 1980), Vol. 2; Irish archaeologist and author of The Round Towers of Ireland (London 1833; Dublin 1834); O’Brien accused Thomas Moore of plagiarising him in his History of Ireland, F. S. Mahon[e]y siding with O’Brien.
Belfast Public Library holds J. L. Vilanueva, Phoenician Ireland [1833], trans. with notes, by H. O’Brien (1867) [q.d.].
Hyland Books (Cat. 214) lists The Round Towers of Ireland, or The History of the Tuath-de-Dananns, intro. W.H.C. [new edition] (.e. 1898), xcv+551pp., port, ills.
G. B. Shaw refers to O’Brien’s theory in John Bull’s
Other Island (1904): Father Dempsey: “Oh, I thought you did [believe
myth about Fin]. D’ye see the top of the Round Tower there? thats
an antiquity worth looking at.” Broadbent: “(Deeply interested)
have you any theory as to what the Round Towers were for?” Father
Dempsey: “(A Little offended) A theory? Me!” (Stage
direction: Theories are connected in his mind with the late Prof. Tyndall,
and with scientific scepticism generally: also perhaps with the view that
the Round Towers are phallic symbols.)
Rare copy of Henry O’Brien, Phoenician Ireland (1833), notes and add. pls., with inscription from the author and Anthony Trollope’s bookplate; to be sold by Martin Walsh Books at National Book Fair, Masonic Hall, Molesworth St. Dublin, (Irish Times, 24 Aug. 1996, p.17).
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Princess Grace Irish Library (Monaco)