Dubliners · Character

Kathleen Kearney

A convent-educated pianist whose name is spoken admiringly across Dublin drawing-rooms, though the ambition behind it belongs mostly to her mother.

supporting

Also known as Miss Kathleen Kearney, Kathleen

First appearance: A Mother

As a supporting figure in Dubliners, Kathleen Kearney is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

The talented daughter and accompanist, who remains passive and obedient as her mother fights for her payment.

In the storyA MotherOpen this moment free

See Kathleen Kearney in A Mother Book page

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Kathleen learned French and music at a good convent and now accompanies the Eire Abu Society's grand concerts for eight guineas, her blush-pink dress chosen by someone else. She is the family's showcase—proof of culture, faith, and the language movement—and the gap between her public glow and her private say in any of it is the quiet ache beneath the story. When the concert money is disputed, her silence becomes the measure of how little the evening was ever hers.

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The fuller portrait of Kathleen Kearney sits in Reading Lens — open the free preview to keep reading with notes on the page.

See Kathleen Kearney in A Mother

Character Web

28 connections

A slice of how Kathleen Kearney sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Social
Professional
Other

Character groups

Party guests and spiritual guides
Central protagonists and catalysts

+23 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Falling action.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

Farrington’s psychological peak occurs here as his simmering resentment and humiliation explode into a direct,…

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Relationships

Gabriel Conroy
social · ambivalent
Acquaintances at the Morkan sisters' party; Gabriel is polite but condescending toward… How this plays out →
Mrs. Mooney
professional · ambivalent
Maria
social · positive
Gabriel Conroy
social · ambivalent
Acquaintances at the Morkan sisters' party; Gabriel is polite but condescending toward… How this plays out →
Maria
social · positive
Gabriel Conroy
social · ambivalent
Acquaintances at the Morkan sisters' party; Gabriel is polite but condescending toward… How this plays out →
Maria
social · positive
Mrs. Mooney
professional · ambivalent

Gabriel Conroy
Acquaintances at the Morkan sisters' party; Gabriel is polite but condescending toward Kathleen's musical performance.
Mrs. Mooney
Concert organizer and performer; Mrs. Mooney manages Kathleen's musical career with calculated ambition.
Maria
Acquaintances through the laundry and concert circle; they share a polite but distant connection.
Gabriel Conroy
Acquaintances at the Morkan sisters' party; Gabriel is polite but condescending toward Kathleen's musical performance.
Maria
Acquaintances through the laundry and concert circle; they share a polite but distant connection.
Gabriel Conroy
Acquaintances at the Morkan sisters' party; Gabriel is polite but condescending toward Kathleen's musical performance.
Maria
Acquaintances through the laundry and concert circle; they share a polite but distant connection.
Mrs. Mooney
Concert organizer and performer; Mrs. Mooney manages Kathleen's musical career with calculated ambition.

Relationship notes

How these ties play out is in the reading companion — open the free preview.

See Kathleen Kearney in A Mother

In the story

Kathleen Kearney appears across 1 companion beat. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

A Mother

Chapter companion notes

Spoil-light check-ins for Kathleen Kearney unlock in the free preview.

See Kathleen Kearney in A Mother