Máire Ní Chathasaigh

Role in the Story:

Máire is the main character in An Triail. Her tragic story unfolds as she faces judgment from her family, society, and the church after becoming pregnant outside of marriage. She is a symbol of the many unmarried mothers who were abandoned by their communities in 1960s Ireland.

Relationships with Other Characters:

• Pádraig Mac Cárthaigh: Pádraig seduces Máire, leading her to believe they are spiritually married. When she becomes pregnant, he abandons her. She never recovers from his betrayal.
• Bean Uí Chathasaigh (Her Mother): Máire's mother is strict and controlling. When Máire becomes pregnant, she turns on her, treating her with cruelty and shaming her.
• Liam and Seán (Her Brothers): Máire's brothers also turn their backs on her, showing no understanding or support.
• Máilí: Máilí is one of the only people who treats Máire with kindness and compassion. She offers her a place to stay and finds a suitable job for her.

Key Actions in the Play:

1. Falls in Love with Pádraig: At the local dance, Máire meets Pádraig, who seduces her. She falls deeply in love with him and becomes pregnant.

2. Moves to Dublin: Abandoned by her family, Máire moves to Dublin. Here, Máire works as a housekeeper for Bean Uí Chinsealaigh.

3. Teach Tearmainn: When Bean Uí Chinsealaigh discovers that Máire is pregnant, she kicks her out. She spends a period of time in the Teach Tearmainn (a refuge shelter), where she meets Mailí. Áine Ní Bhreasail, a social worker, pressures Máire to put her daughter, Pádraigín, up for adoption. Máire refuses to do so.

4. Máire's House Falls Down: After leaving the Teach Tearmainn, Máire gets a job in a factory. A gas leak in her accomodation leads to the building's collapse. Máire and her daughter find themselves homeless.

5. Mailí's Kindness: Mailí offers Máire and Pádraigín shelter. Following the accident, Máire refuses to leave Pádraigín. Mailí finds her suitable work that allows her to remain with Pádraigín.

6. Full of Hope: When Maire learns that Pádraig's wife has passed away, she is convinced that he will come for her. She is filled with a renewed sense of hope.

7. Máire's Death: Pádraig visits Mailí's house. He has no interest in his daughter, and speaks cruelly to Máire. Máire, distraught, ends both her own and Pádraigín's lives.

Symbolism/Importance

Máire's character symbolises the cruelty and hypocrisy of a society that punished women for something as natural as becoming pregnant while offering no support. Through Máire, the play critiques the societal and religious values that led to the mistreatment of vulnerable women.

Aidiachtaí

Dílis	Loyal
Goilliúnach	Sensitive
Saonta	Naive
Támáilte	Shy
Láidir	Strong
Misniúil	Brave
Dílis	Loyal

1. Máire: támáilte agus saonta

(Máire: shy and naive)

• Ag tús an drama, is cailín ciúin í Máire.
  • At the beginning of the dram, Máire is a quiet girl.
• Bhí sí faoi bhois an chait ag a máthair. Ní raibh aon saoirse aici-mar shampla, is beag taithí a bhí aici ar rince mar 'ní ligeann mo mháthair dom dul ar na rincí'.
  • She was under her mother's control. She had no freedom-for example, she had little dance experience because 'my mother doesn't let me go to the dances.'
• Is léir go raibh saol an-fhothainiúil aici.
  • She clearly had a very sheltered life.
• Bhí sé an-easca do Phádraig í a mhealladh. Bhí sí an-saonta agus chreid sí focail Phádraig- go bpósfadh sé í dá mbeadh sé saor.
  • It was very easy for Pádraig to seduce her. She was naive and she believed Pádraig's words - that he would marry her if he were free.

2. An gaol rúnda agus an pósadh bréagach

(The secret relationship and the fake marriage)

• Bhí creideamh láidir ag Máire agus thuig Pádraig go mbeadh rud cósúil le pósadh bréagach ag teastáil chun í a mhealladh go hiomlán.

  • Máire had a strong faith and Pádraig understood that something like a fake marriage would be needed to seduce her completely.

• Chreid Máire sa phósadh bréagach. Chuir Pádraig faoi gheasa í. "Is tú mo bhean feasta, is tú mo bhean chéile"

  • Máire believe in the fake marriage. Pádraig put her under a spell.

• Bhí coinsias Mháire ag cur isteach uirthi. Dúirt sí le Pádraig go raibh éagóir a dhéanamh acu ar a bhean.

  • Máire's conscience was bothering her. She said to Pádraig that they were doing an injustice on his wife.

• Chuaigh sí chun faoistine agus dúirt an sagart léi go gcaithfadh sí fáil réidh leis an bhfear. Ní raibh Máire in ann glacadh le seo, agus d'imigh sí gan aspalóid.

  • She went to confession and the priest told her that she had to get rid of the man. Máire was unable to accept this, and she left without absolution.

3. Fágadh ina haonar í

(She is left alone)

• Bhí Máire ag iompar clainne, agus nuair a fuair a máthair amach faoin toircheas, bhí sí ar buile.

  • Máire was pregnant, and when her mother found out about the pregnancy, she was furious.

• Níor thug a dearthaireacha aon tacaíocht di- dúirt Seán nach raibh sí ag glacadh le Comaineach Naofa nó ag dul chun na faoistine, agus go raibh sí tinn go minic.

  • Her brothers did not give her any support-Seán said that she was not accepting Holy Communion or going to confession, and that she was often sick.

• Thréig Pádraig í agus ba thruamhéileach an rud a dúirt Máire faoina saol ansin, 'An ród atá romham, caithfidh mé aghaidh a thabhairt air i m'aonar'.

  • Pádraig abandoned her what Máire said about her life then was miserable, 'The road ahead of me, I have to face it alone.'

• Bhí an ceart aici. Ní raibh aon chaidreamh aici lena muintir ina dhiaidh sin.

  • She was right. She had no relationship with her family after that.

4. Baile Átha Cliath

(Dublin)

• Bhí an neart agus misneach uirthi dul go Baile Átha Cliath ina haonar.
  • She had to strength and courage to go to Dublin alone.
• Fuair sí post mar chúintóir tí le Bean Uí Chinsealaigh. Rinne an bhean uasal seo dúshaothrú ar Mháire. Thug sí pá íseal di agus nuair a chonaic sí go raibh Máire torrach, thug sí bata agus bóthar di.
  • She got a job as a housekeeper with Bean Uí Chinsealaigh. This lady exploited Máire. She gave her a low wage and when she saw saw that Máire was pregnant, she got rid of her.
• Saol doicheallach a bhí roimpi ansin.
  • An cold life was ahead of her.
• Sa Teach Tearmainn, chuir an t-oibrí sóisialta brú uafásach uirthi.
  • In the Teach Tearmainn, the social worker put terrible pressure on her.
• Ní raibh fonn uirthi a leanbh a thabhairt suas ar altramas, agus léirigh sí a neart nuair a dhiúltaigh sí cloí leis an gcóras.
  • She did not want to put her child up for adoption, and she showed her strength when she refused to conform to the system.
• Bhí sí ceanndána leis an oibrí shóisialta.
  • She was stubborn with the social worker.

5. Máire i dteach Mailí

(Máire in Mailí's house)

• Máthair cosantach a bhí inti nuair a thit an teach anuas ar Phádraigín. Bhí eagla uirthi a hiníon a fhágáil ina haonar ar eagla go dtarlódh aon rud di.
  • She was a protective mother when the house fell down on Pádraigín. She was afraid to leave her daughter alone in case anything happened to her.
• Fuair Máire post ag glanadh an tí do na lóisteoirí ar fad i dteach Mailí, ionas go mbeadh sí in ann fanacht le Pádraigín.
  • Máire got a job cleaning the house for all of the lodgers in Mailí's house, so that she could stay with Pádraigín.

6. Mhaslaigh Pádraig í

(Pádraig insulted her)

• Níl aon dabht ach go raibh an-ghrá ag Máire do Phádraig.
  • There is no doubt that Máire loved Pádraig.
• Níor luaigh sí a ainm le duine ar bith.
  • She never mentioned his name to anyone.
• Shroich sí deireadh na feide nuair a dhiúltaigh Pádraig í agus a leanbh. Nuair a ghlaoigh sé striapach uirthi, ní raibh puinn dóchais fágtha aici.
  • She reached the end of her tether when Patrick denied her and her child. When he called her a prostitute, she had no hope left.
• Is brónach an radharc é nuair a chuir Pádraig in iúl nach raibh aon suim aige inti ná ina n-iníon.
  • It is a sad sight when Pádraig made it apparent that he had no interest in her or their daughter.
• Bhí críoch an-tragóideach le saol Mháire. Mharaigh sí a hiníon agus chuir sí lámh ina bás féin.
  • Máire's life had a very tragic end. She killed her daughter and she took her own life.

Quote:

"Mharaigh mé mo leanbh de bhrí gur chailín í. Ní bheidh sí ina hóinsín bhog ghéilliúil ag aon fhear. Tá sí saor."

"I killed my child because she was a girl. She will not be a soft submissive fool for any man. She is free."