Irish Author Christopher Nolan dies

The death has been announced of award-winning Irish author Christopher Nolan (43).

Nolan, who suffered from cerebral palsy due to being deprived of oxygen during his birth, used a pointer attached to his head to write three books, one of which won the Whitbread Prize in 1988.

A statement issued on behalf of the Nolan family said he ingested some food into his airways yesterday and died in Beaumont hospital in Dublin at 2.30am today.

Nolan, who was born in on September 6th, 1965, spent the early years of his life in Mullingar, Co Westmeath. He was educated at Central Remedial Clinic School, Mount Temple Comprehensive School and at Trinity College, Dublin.

“Despite the severity of his cerebral palsy, christy’s intellectual abilities were unimpaired, and loving words, he set out to become a writer,” said the family’s statement.

Nolan published a volume of poems and short stories entitled Dam Burst of Dreams in 1981 when he was 15.

His second book, an autobiography told in the third-person entitled Under the Eye of the Clock , was published when he was 22. It was awarded the illustrious Whitbread Book of the Year award in 1988. The book was later adapted for the stage by Michael Scott and performed as Torchlight and Lazer Beams.

In 1999, his novel The Banyan Tree , which chronicles the life of Westmeath woman Minnie O'Brien, was published to critical acclaim.

Until he was eleven Christopher was unable to communicate and there were those who refused to believe his Mother's assertion that he was aware and intelligent. A drug that allowed him partial control of his neck was the first breakthrough. His Mother gave his head extra support with her hands and Christopher manipulated the "unicorn" stick to touch keys on the typewriter. His first book Dam-burst of Dreams is the literary explosion that resulted. He claimed that he had been fully aware and writing poetry in his head from the age of three! Later, more advances in drug therapy and the use of a computer word processor gave him more independence in the act of writing. Nolan's work is very beautiful and shows a deep Faith--all the more wonderful when one realises how his mind was so long locked within a paralysed body. Here are a couple of poems from Dam-burst written at the age of eleven:

Years dead tears, peter down my face, Lucifer quietly plays me down, Out of a light there came Christ Divine, Peace always comes, reigns awhile. Day after dawn, raw quiet rested there, As I peered through rough pastures, Dew drops glistened in golden buttercups. Aug. 1977

Taste of pity as people stare, Love, lots of love from mother, Pills you find as lasting prayer, An irate person may possibly Have faith, instead of despair. Sept. 1977

For a short time he was a shining light. May he rest in the peace of Christ.

I often feel Free Republic needs some inspiring stories and needs to honor people more who make contributions outside of politics. Man is more than just a political animal. He is creative and has the potential for greatness, even as in Chris’ case, if his body has extreme limitations. The Spirit can still soar.

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