"The Sniper" was Liam O'Flaherty's first published work. It is set in the Battle of Dublin, in the early stages of the Irish Civil War, fought between the Republicans and Free Staters.
At the time of the Irish Civil War between the Republicans and the Irish Free Staters, a Republican Sniper sat on the rooftop of a house near the O'Connell Bridge at twilight, after a long day of fighting. He had his rifle beside him and his binoculars were hung on his shoulder. He was eating a sandwich. After eating, he takes a drought of whiskey from his flask. Then, after debating with himself about the wisdom in smoking, he lights his cigarette and smokes, in spite of realizing that it might bring unwanted attention as to him. Soon, a bullet hits the parapet of the roof, immediately followed by another. The second time, the Sniper notices that the flash of the rifle firing came from across the street, though he could spot nobody in the dim light.
Just then, an armored car of the enemy comes up. The Sniper is tempted to shoot at it, but knows that it would be pointless, as a bullet would never pierce through the steel. Just then, a woman comes across the street and talks to the man in the turret of the armored car and points to the roof of the building where he was. The Sniper realizes that she must be an informer. As the turret opens, the Sniper shoots both the woman and the man in the turret and kills them both.
Suddenly the enemy who lay across the street shoots at the Sniper, wounding him. The Sniper spends the next few minutes concentrating on dressing his wound with the field dressing that he carried. Realizing that he had to escape, the Sniper comes up with a plan to kill his enemy across the street, so that he could get away safely. Placing his hat over his rifle, he raises the rifle, so that his hat could be seen from across the street. The enemy rises to the ruse and shoots the hat, thinking that it was the Sniper getting up. The Sniper immediately drops his rifle and hat, letting it drop down to the street. The enemy thinking that he had killed his man, gets up to leave. The Sniper immediately takes out his revolver and shoots, killing the enemy.
Curious to know whom he had killed, the Sniper crosses the street to find out. Just then, a machine gun comes there and guns down the whole place, but he escapes. Getting to the dead enemy's body, he turns it around and finds that it is his brother.
