The Demi-Gods · Character

Brien O'Brien

A Kerryman damned to the maximum of hell, whose one unanswerable question about a stolen threepenny bit turns the underworld inside out.

major

Also known as Brien, O'Brien

First appearance: Book III: Brien O’Brien

As a major figure in The Demi-Gods, Brien O'Brien is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Central figure of the chapter, whose story is told by Art, emphasizing his role as a storyteller and wise figure.

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Brien O'Brien arrives in the pit already a legend among sinners, having earned the maximum punishment and then some. His relentless query — who stole the threepenny bit? — becomes a chant that spreads from torment to torment until even the Master of Hell cannot sleep and Rhadamanthus must scratch his head for the first time in eternity. He matters because his stubborn, unquenchable grievance exposes the machinery of judgment as a fix, forcing heaven and hell alike to reckon with a Kerryman who refuses to stew.

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Character Web

12 connections

A slice of how Brien O'Brien sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Other

Character groups

Protagonist
Mythological and Irish Heroes

+7 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

Billy the Music’s revelation that Patsy poisoned his dog transforms a nostalgic reminiscence into a direct acc…

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In the story

Brien O'Brien appears across 5 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

Book III: Brien O’Brien
Central figure of the chapter, whose story is told by Art, emphasizing his role as a storyteller and wise figure.
XXV
A sinner from Kerry who is tormented in Hell but disrupts it by incessantly demanding his stolen threepenny bit; he is brought before Rhadamanthus and thrown to Earth alongside Cuchulain.
XXVII
Revealed at the end of Art's story to be the same being as the magician who was caught by the sound.
XXIX
Travels with Eileen and Cuchulain, fights off the women's attack, and shows interest in Finaun's power.
The Encounter with Eileen Ni Cooley
Killed by a donkey's kick during the fight with Mac Cann.

Chapter companion notes

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