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On a rooftop near O'Connell Bridge, a Republican sniper lay watching. Beside him lay his rifle and over his shoulders was slung a pair of field glasses. His face was the face of a student, thin and ascetic, but his eyes had the cold gleam of the fanatic.
In Liam O’Flaherty’s story “The Sniper,” the historical conflict of the Battle of the Four Courts in June 1922 reflects the effects of the Irish Civil War (1922–1923). The story explores interpersonal conflicts among Irish citizens, as well as the internal conflicts that plagued individuals who participated in the violence.
Summary. Analysis. The story begins in darkness near dawn. The city of Dublin, Ireland is undergoing a battle between Republicans and Free Staters. It is the Civil War. The night is silent except for the occasional machines guns and rifles, which sound like “dogs barking on lone farms.”
The Sniper is a short story written by the Irish writer Liam O'Flaherty. Set during the early weeks of the Irish Civil War, during the Battle of Dublin, it is O'Flaherty's first published work of fiction.
“The Sniper” begins just before dawn in Dublin, Ireland, during the Irish Civil War. A Republic sniper sits on a roof and lights a cigarette despite knowing that the flash of his lighter might tip off his enemy. It does, and an enemy sniper, a Free Stater, sends a bullet flying overhead.
Borrowing on O’Flaherty’s experiences of the Irish Civil War, “The Sniper” reveals bitter truths about the conflict, its atrocities, the divisions in Ireland, and the fact that at day’s end, combatants share a common humanity.
“The Sniper” is a short story by Liam O’Flaherty. It was first published in the British socialist newspaper, The New Leader in January 1923. The story takes place within the span of a few hours during an afternoon in June 1922 (the beginning of the Irish Civil War ).
