Author Clare Boylan dies aged 58

Award-winning journalist and critically acclaimed author Clare Boylan died yesterday at the age of 58.

Award-winning journalist and critically acclaimed author Clare Boylan died yesterday at the age of 58.

Ms Boylan, who was a member of Aosdána, died in Our Lady's Hospice, Harold's Cross, yesterday. She is survived by her husband, Alan Wilkes.

Born in Dublin in 1948, Ms Boylan worked as a journalist and critic for a range of magazines, international broadcast media and newspapers, most notably the Evening Press.

In 1974, she was recognised as Ireland's journalist of the year, before writing her first novel, Holy Pictures, which was published in 1983.

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Over the course of a writing career spanning two decades, she wrote short stories, non fiction and fictional works, many of which were translated.

Works included A Nail on the Head, The Literary Companion to Cats and Emma Brown: A Novel from the Unfinished Manuscript by Charlotte Brontë which was published last year.

In 1988, the film Making Waves, which was based on her short story, Some Ladies on a Tour, was nominated for an Oscar in the best short film category.

Ms Boylan received the Spirit of Life award for fiction in Dublin in 1997.