Irish author O'Brien (4)
I believe the answer is:
edna
'irish author o'brien' is the definition.
(I've seen this in another clue)
This is all the clue.
(Other definitions for edna that I've seen before include "Female name" , "Dean (anag) - it's a girl's name!" , ". . . . O'Brien, ... Saint Vincent Millay" , "___ O'Brien, Irish novelist, b. 1930" , "- O'Brien, Ir. novelist" .)