| "Guests of the Nation" | |
|---|---|
| Short story by Frank O'Connor | |
 First UK edition of collection | |
| Country | Ireland |
| Language | English |
| Publication | |
| Publisher | Macmillan |
| Publication date | 1931 |
"Guests of the Nation" is a short story written by Irish author Frank O'Connor which was published in 1931. It depicts the summary execution of two British Army hostages by the Irish Republican Army (IRA) during the Irish War of Independence. The story is split into four sections, with each section being written using a different stylistic tone; it begins by depicting the friendship between the British hostages and their IRA captors, until they are suddenly ordered to summarily execute the hostages in retaliation for the execution of four IRA prisoners. Neil McKenzie's stage adaptation of the story received an Obie Award in 1958.