Liam O'Flaherty (August 28, 1896 - September 7, 1984) was a significant Irish novelist and short story writer and a major figure in the Irish Renaissance . Born on the remote Gort na gCapall , Inishmore (one of the Aran Islands), county Galway, and educated at University College Dublin. He was a leading Irish novelist of the early 20th century. His works are characterized by realism and powerful drama. Among his books are Thy Neighbor's Wife (1924), The Informer (1925; film, 1935), Mr. Gilhooley (1926), Short Stories (1937; revised 1956), Land (1946), Two Lovely Beasts and Other Stories (1950), Insurrection (1951), and The Pedlar's Revenge and Other Stories (1976). In addition to The Sniper , some notable short stories by O'Flaherty are Civil War, The Shilling , Going into Exile , and A Red Petticoat .

Although a native speaker of Irish, Liam O'Flaherty wrote mostly in English. Towards the end of his life, he published a collection of short stories, Dúil, which ranks among the finest he wrote in any language, as well as the finest ever written in Irish.

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