Talk:Maeve Binchy

D.o.b
March or May?

I always thought she was born on 28 MARCH 1940. There are several online bios that confirm this but also several that give the May date. Which is correct?

I don't know. The Britannica site has May, while BBC.CO.UK has March. There also seems to be confusion over whether she was born in Dublin or Dalkey. DoctorMud 00:14, 14 April 2007 (UTC)
 * Both. Dalkey is an area in Dublin. --➨♀♂ Candlewicke STundefined 00:53, 26 January 2009 (UTC)

Finbar's Hotel
Binchy is listed as having contributed to this book but I don't think she did.

Biography assessment rating comment
The article may be improved by following the WikiProject Biography 11 easy steps to producing at least a B article. Please feel free to put any comments or ask any questions on my talk page. -- GDon4t0 (talk to me...)

A question
Bio currently reads, "She was a journalist at The Irish Times before becoming a full-time writer." But, um, isn't a journalist at the Irish Times generally considered to be a full-time writer?--68.199.33.181 18:54, 28 March 2007 (UTC)

So true! I've re-worked it to make it more clear. DoctorMud 00:16, 14 April 2007 (UTC)

Husband's Name
On her books and her website, her husband is listed as Gordon Snell. Is "Tobias Austin Bird" a pseudonym? US Reader (talk) 11:10, 19 July 2009 (UTC) US Reader


 * It appears to be vandalism by in mid-July. All the non-wiki sources I can find still list Snell as the husband, but there are now various wikipedia mirrors that repeat the Bird misinformation. I've reverted to the version from May, before ciarangc edited, since there were still some other lingering changes to the article that appear to be his and I don't know which of the changes since then to trust. Someone more familiar with this material than I should check the diffs and see whether any of the changes since May are worth adding back again. See also Tobias Austin Bird, proposed for deletion as unverifiable and a likely hoax. —David Eppstein (talk) 06:47, 28 July 2009 (UTC)

Dublin 4
Dublin 4 (the short story collection) directs to Dublin 4 (the postal district. Removing link. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 209.212.4.3 (talk) 16:33, 27 March 2010 (UTC)

Death
Vincent Browne and Alan Cantwell have just announced her death on the late news on TV3... ;( —Preceding unsigned comment added on 22:05, 30 July 2012 (UTC)

Kathleen Lynch
One of those sending her condolences, she's described here as 'Minister for Special People'. I'm not very familiar with Irish politics, but is this correct? Her actual title seems to be Minister of State for Disability, Equality and Mental Health. Robofish (talk) 13:00, 31 July 2012 (UTC)

Why compare sales to literary giants?
Am I the only one who thinks that sentence comparing Binchy's sales to those of "other Irish writers," all of whom are absolutely established literary giants, is strange, out of place, and misses the point? Binchy is a BEST selling author, and this sentence comes off as petty, as if someone is trying to make up for her not having as much literary clout so they have to compare her sales to these classic authors. She's in a different game from these authors--the comparison is bunk.

Imagine, for example, the flip side: it's like saying "James Joyce has been hailed by some critics as the greatest Irish writer, and even the greatest writer of all time; Maeve Binchy never has." Does this comparison make any more sense than the one in the article? These authors are playing for different prizes, bottom line. Why not compare the sales numbers of Binchy to Agatha Christie, or JK Rowling, or other bestselling authors?

Chicopac (talk) 19:05, 17 March 2013 (UTC)


 * That sentence also struck me as odd.
 * Now I want to know about all the other competitions between Irish authors.
 * Out of Wilde, Joyce, and Beckett, who was the best high jumper?
 * 99.247.1.157 (talk) 06:46, 6 May 2014 (UTC)

Pronunciation?
Having no idea how her name is pronounced, I would like to see that information added to the first sentence.

Her name rhymes with "gave"? With "have"?

99.247.1.157 (talk) 06:54, 6 May 2014 (UTC)
 * Does anyone know?
 * 99.238.74.216 (talk) 06:37, 2 June 2014 (UTC)

It's pronounced like Mave.

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Pronunciation
Really need pronunciation guide for her first name please. Roger (Dodger67) (talk) 19:23, 20 July 2018 (UTC)

Atheist or agnostic?
I can't find any source where she clearly said she was Atheist, unless anyone else found one? Would it be more appropriate to say she was an agnostic? MrHistorianDude (talk) 21:56, 10 May 2019 (UTC)