Back to Main Page Bernard MacLaverty: CAL

Summary of chapter 2

In chapter 2 Cal goes to church where he can see Marcella, the woman he is obviously very interested in. While the people are praying, Cal thinks about his relationship to his mother during his childhood.
After the service in church on his way to Clones in the Republic or Ireland, where he wants to watch the Ulster football final, he experiences a feeling of freedom, which he doesn't know from Protestant Ulster.

Foto: GAA Stadium in Clones/Ireland
The recent £1 million development of the west stand now makes St. Tiarnach's Park GAA stadium one of the finest in the country. It hosts among other matches, the annual Ulster football final.: from: http://www.cluaineois.demon.co.uk/


During a break in the game he meets Skeffington, who asks him about his dad and Crilly.

On the following days he often goes to the library, where Marcella works, with only one intention: to see her beautiful smile.

One day his father tells him that he spoke to Pascal O'Hare, a friend of his. There are a couple of dead trees on O'Hare's land which are in his way and Shamie bought them for next to nothing.

Cal's dad asks him to drive around with the van trying to sell the chunks of wood. Cal drives to Morton's farm. There he gets in contact with old Mrs. Morton who buys the chunks of wood from him on the condition that Cal is going to split them up for her. On the next day Cal does it, hoping to see Marcella. When he is paid Mrs. Morton asks him whether he's interested in having a job on the farm.

So Cal starts working there, helping to harvest the potatoes together with a lot of other people. After a couple of days the potatoes have all been dug up but he's offered to work on the farm permanently. During all these days Cal hasn't seen Marcella, but he gets to know Dunlop, the Protestant foreman on the farm.

by Renée Laura Loseva

The following chapters: Three, Four, Five

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