León Ó Broin (10 November 1902 – 26 February 1990) was anIrish civil servant, known as a writer and playwright. He wrote many plays, stories and historical works in bothIrish and English.[1]
He was imprisoned in 1921 and 1922 and afterwards joined theFree State army as a non-combatant. In 1924 he was the first Administrative Officer appointed by the new Free State civil service, where he worked mainly in the Department of Finance. He was Secretary of the Department of Posts and Telegraphs from 1948 to 1967.
Together withFrank Duff he formed the Pillar of Fire Society in 1942, for Catholic-Jewish dialogue, after rumours about the killing of Jews in Europe starting coming through to Ireland. He presented a paper at the first meeting, helped by a Jewish colleague and friend, Laurence Elyan.[2]
Ó Broin, León (1967).Charles Gavan Duffy: Patriot and Statesman: the story of Charles Gavan Duffy (1816-1903). Dublin: Duffy.ISBN978-0-900343-03-2.
Ó Broin, León (1969).The Chief Secretary, Augustine Birrell in Ireland. London: Chatto & Windus; Edinburgh: Archon.ISBN978-0-208-00982-1.
Ó Broin, León (1971).Fenian fever: an Anglo-American dilemma. London: Chatto & Windus.ISBN978-0-7011-1749-8.
Ó Broin, León (1980).Michael Collins. Dublin: Gill & Macmillan.ISBN978-0-7171-1076-6.
Ó Broin, León (1983).In Great Haste: Letters of Michael Collins and Kitty Kiernan. Dublin: Gill & Macmillan.ISBN978-0-7171-1287-6.
Ó Broin, León (1986).Just like yesterday: an autobiography. Dublin: Gill & Macmillan.ISBN978-0-7171-1431-3.
Ó Broin, León (1976).Revolutionary underground: the story of the Irish Republican Brotherhood, 1858-1924. Rowman and Littlefield.ISBN978-0-87471-863-8.
Ó Broin, León (1982).No man's man: a biographical memoir of Joseph Brennan, civil servant & first governor of the Central Bank. Dublin: Institute of Public Administration.ISBN978-0-906980-20-0.
Ó Broin, León (1985).Protestant Nationalists in Revolutionary Ireland, The Stopford Connection. Dublin: Gill & Macmillan.ISBN978-0-389-20569-2.
Ó Broin, León (1989).W.E.Wylie and the Irish Revolution 1916-1921. Dublin: Gill and Macmillan.