Ernest Gébler

Ernest Gébler (31 December 1914 – 26 January 1998), sometimes credited as Ernie Gebler, was an Irish writer of Czech origin. He was a member of Aosdána.

Early life Gébler was born in Dublin, one of the five children of Adolf (or Adolphe) Gébler, a shopkeeper and musician of Czech Jewish origin who had married a Dublin theatre usherette. In 1930 Adolf got a job with a Dublin light opera company and Ernest followed the rest of the family there in 1931. The couple moved to Ireland, got married and were divorced in 1951 After opposition from O'Brien's family, they moved to England, married in 1954, and made their home at Lake Park House, overlooking Lough Dan, in Co Wicklow. They had two sons, Karl (later Carlo) and Sasha, who became respectively a writer and an architect. Her literary career eclipsed Gébler's after her début novel The Country Girls in 1960.

Late personal life The couple separated in 1964 and divorced in 1968, with O'Brien eventually gaining sole custody of the children. Both O'Brien and Carlo Gébler later wrote about Ernest's cruelty to the family. Gébler returned to Dublin in 1970, but also owned farmland near Lough Owel, and became friendly with his neighbour J. P. Donleavy.

After a fall at home, Gébler was taken into care and his house in the Dublin suburb of Dalkey was sold. He spent the last seven years of his life at Grove Nursing Home in Killiney, Dublin, where he died in 1998 of a bronchial infection, after several years with Alzheimer's disease.

Works + Works by Ernest Gébler Title Type Year Notes Refs He Had My Heart Scalded novel WorldCat say 1946; Donnelly incorrectly says 1944. The Voyage of the Mayflower novel 1950 Historical novel based on the 1620 Mayflower voyage. Sold five million copies. Filmed in 1952 as Plymouth Adventure starring Spencer Tracy She Sits Smiling play 1954 Premièred at the Pike Theatre A Week in the Country novel 1957 The Love Investigator novel 1960 Eileen O'Roon play Where Will I find what will Change my Life? teleplay 1966 Call Me Daddy teleplay 1967 "Armchair Theatre" episode on ABC broadcast 8 April 1967. Edited by Terence Feely and directed by Alvin Rakoff. Won the 1968 International Emmy for Entertainment. Expanded into his novel Shall I Eat You Now?. A German version was broadcast in 1970. Staged at the Project Arts Centre in 1975. The Old Man and the Girl novel 1968 A Little Milk of Human Kindness teleplay 1968 For London Weekend Television Women Can be Monsters teleplay 1968 "The Wednesday Play" on BBC One, 27 November 1968. Produced by Thames Television Shall I Eat You Now? novel 1969 Based on his teleplay Call Me Daddy. Released in the US as Hoffman, and filmed in 1970 also as Hoffman. Hoffman screenplay 1970 Based on his novel Shall I Eat You Now? The Spaniards in Galway play