J. Irwin (John Irwin) Brown

Born in Limavady, County Londonderry, on October 3, 1858, John Irwin Brown was an Irish Presbyterian minister as well as a writer. He spent much of his career in Rotterdam, where he became a well-known figure at the Scots Church and earned a reputation that reached well beyond his congregation.

Brown is best remembered today for An Irishman’s Difficulties with the Dutch Language, first published in 1908 under the pen name "Cuey-na-Gael." The book playfully follows an Irish visitor trying to master Dutch, and its humor comes from the kind of misunderstandings that still feel familiar to language learners now. A sequel, The Further Adventures of O’Neill in Holland, helped extend that comic world.

Alongside his literary work, Brown also wrote about the history of the Scots Church in Rotterdam. Accounts from those who knew him describe him as cultivated, observant, and personally warm, qualities that seem to match the charm and gentle wit of his books. He died in Rotterdam on February 2, 1937.