Máire's Mother - Bean Uí Chathasaigh

Bean Uí Chathasaigh is the driving force behind Máire's suffering throughout the play. After losing her husband and a baby, she became obsessed with respectability and controlling her children's lives. She's ambitious for her family's social standing and keeps tight control over everyone.

The mother talks constantly about religion and being 'respectable', but when she discovers Máire's pregnancy, her Christian values disappear completely. Instead of showing mercy, she becomes cruel and unforgiving - more worried about what the neighbours will think than about her own daughter's wellbeing.

When Máire refuses to have an abortion, her mother throws her out of the house immediately. She abandons her daughter completely, forcing Máire to face pregnancy and motherhood entirely alone. This betrayal by the person who should protect her most becomes the foundation of Máire's tragic downfall.

Key Point: The mother's obsession with social reputation matters more to her than her daughter's life - a devastating example of how societal pressure can destroy families.

Liam - The Selfish Brother

Liam, Máire's eldest brother, plays a crucial role in her downfall, though he refuses to accept responsibility. He's the one who brings Máire to the school dance where she first meets Pádraig, and he leaves her alone with him without any supervision.

Liam is completely self-centred - his mind is focused on chasing after Beití de Búrca rather than looking out for his sister's safety. When everything goes wrong, he becomes defensive and won't accept any blame for what happened.

In court, Liam declares that he wasn't Máire's keeper and that she was old enough to get home by herself. He's weak under his mother's control and too cowardly to stand up to her when she mistreats Máire. Even at the end of the drama, he shows no sorrow for his sister's death.

Key Point: Liam's selfishness and refusal to protect his sister when she needed him most makes him partially responsible for the tragedy.

Seán - The Hypocritical Future Priest

Seán represents the ultimate hypocrisy in the play. He's studying to become a priest but shows absolutely no Christian charity or love towards his sister when she needs it most. Despite recognising that their mother is too hard on Máire, he's too weak to challenge her.

When Seán discovers that Máire is pregnant, he betrays her trust by telling their mother about her morning sickness and missed communion. This betrayal triggers the mother's cruel reaction and Máire's expulsion from the family home.

After Máire is thrown out, Seán is more concerned about his own reputation than his sister's welfare. He worries that her situation will force him to quit the priesthood, showing he's more worried about himself than about Máire and her unborn child.

The tragic irony is that the person who talks most about God and plans to dedicate his life to serving God is the most vicious towards Máire when she's most vulnerable.

Key Point: Seán's behaviour exposes the gap between religious pretense and actual Christian compassion - he preaches love but practices cruelty.

The Tragic Conclusion

With no support from her family, Máire transforms from a timid, obedient girl into someone who finds strength and courage through her suffering. However, the complete abandonment by everyone she trusted leaves her with no hope for the future.

When the social worker suggests she could return home, Máire's response reveals her complete despair: "I'd rather drown myself in the river." She's been rejected by her family and her faith, left entirely alone to care for herself and her baby.

The play ends with Máire's suicide and infanticide - she kills her baby and then herself because she can find no kindness, understanding, or support anywhere. The final scene shows all the characters standing around her grave, their hypocrisy and lack of Christianity fully exposed.

The cruel irony is that these 'religious' people showed no trace of Christianity to Máire while she was alive, and they continue to judge her even in death. Their behaviour proves that Máire's family - her mother and brothers Liam and Seán - were indeed responsible for most of her suffering.

Key Point: The tragedy demonstrates how societal judgment and family abandonment can destroy innocent lives, making this a powerful critique of 1960s Irish society's treatment of unmarried mothers.