Pádraig Standún, Lovers (1983) [Cló Chonamara 1983] (Dublin: Poolbeg Press 1991), 162pp.

Father Tom is sleeping with Marion; she becomes pregnant; in the ensuing scandal, he defends his entitlement to remain in the priesthood; makes up his mind to leave and marry Marion if dismissed by the Bishop, who finally instructs him to continue with his duties; on his return to the parish, he finds Marion absent without an address and receives notice to remove his property from the parish house.

‘Paddy McEvilly was bursting for a piss, but he was too comfortable to leave the warm coccon of blankets to relieve himself. He had six pints of Guinness the previous night and worked that tricked he learned from the the book the priest had lent him. How many socks had been filled like that since McGahern’s second novel had been published! It didn’t make him guilty or ashamed any more. He had slept well until the pressure on his bladder awakened him.’ [p.1.]