Liam O’Flaherty

Biography

Liam O’Flaherty was born in County Galway, Ireland, in August, 1896. Although his family was poor, O’Flaherty was able to study and get a good education, attending Rockwell College at age 12, and later attending the University College of Dublin.

In 1917, O’Flaherty enlisted in the Irish Guards under an assumed name to fight in WWI. He was wounded later that same year in the Battle of Langemarck. After the war, O’Flaherty became a believer of Marxist socialist ideology, and was a strong voice for this cause. He later became one of the key founding members of the Communist Party of Ireland.