At Swim, Two Boys

infobox Book |
name = At Swim, Two Boys
title_orig =
translator =


image_caption =
author = Jamie O'Neill
illustrator =
cover_artist =
country = Ireland
language = English
series =
genre = Fiction
publisher = Scribner
release_date = 2001
english_release_date =
media_type = Print (Hardcover)
pages = 643 pages
isbn = ISBN 0-7432-0713-0

"At Swim, Two Boys" (2001) is a novel by Irish writer Jamie O'Neill. The title is a punning allusion to Flann O'Brien's "At Swim-Two-Birds". The book is written in a stream-of-consciousness style, which has led to favourable comparisons to James Joyce.

Plot summary

Set in Dublin before and during the 1916 Easter Rising, "At Swim, Two Boys" tells the love story of two young Irish men: "Jim Mack", and "Doyler Doyle". Jim goes to school on a scholarship (for which he is looked down upon) - he is quiet, studious, thoughtful, and naïve. In contrast, Doyler is outspoken, rebellious, brave, and affectionate. Doyler might once have received a scholarship, like Jim, but Doyler withdrew from school to find work and support his impoverished family, leading them to grow apart. They have an additional connection through their fathers, who served in the army together during the Boer War, and were once best friends.

Events of 1915

Jim attends a Catholic school, regularly visits church, and plays in the church's flute band, where he is the object of the parish priest's obsession. "Brother Polycarp" likes to have extra prayer sessions with him; Jim reminds him of his own past. Unbeknown to his father, Jim is offered the chance at a vocation, to join the brothers of the church. When Doyler enters the flute band, their old friendship is renewed. Doyler takes Jim out to the Forty Foot for a swim, a well known swimming area in Dublin Bay. The two boys make a pact: Doyler will teach Jim to swim, and in a year, on Easter Sunday, 1916, they will swim to the distant island of Muglins Rock and claim it for themselves. As their friendship grows, Jim reconsiders the vocation, ultimately refusing; Brother Polycarp is emotionally stricken and has to resign.

Meanwhile, patriots appear on the novel's stage: "Madame Eveline MacMurrough" continues to support the idea of Ireland's liberty. The clergy also supports the patriotic body of thought, in particular, Father Amen O'Toiler - who pushes the boys church's flute band to resemble a regimental band. Even Jim's father, Mr. Mack, who is proud having served as a soldier in an Irish Battalion, is swollen with pride for the boys in MacMurrough's garden, seeing them all in uniform kilts.

Only "Anthony MacMurrough", the nephew of Eveline MacMurrough, turns away from their politics. After his return from imprisonment in England, for acts of gross indecency, his nationalist aunt Eveline MacMurrough is determined to redeem his reputation through a prosperous marriage. In a garden party, Eveline MacMurrough introduces him to Irish society, pushing him to follow her patriotic ideals. However, MacMurrough is still caught up in his memories of imprisonment, conversing with the internal voice of his dead prison-mate, "Scrotes ", on the fate of homosexuals.

In the meantime, Doyler works to help support his family, which has been driven to poverty by Mr. Doyle's alcoholism and illness. Hidden to others but knowing of his sexual desires, he can make an earning out of it. MacMurrough and Doyler meet intimately, but MacMurrough fails in attracting the boy. Doyler being a vehement Socialist and outcast by the patriotic society of his home place, joins the Irish Citizen Army at Dublin leaving home.

Events of 1916

Jim, left alone from his pal of his heart Doyler, befriends with MacMurrough. He becomes a mentor to Jim, teaching about swimming as well as homosexuality and philosophy. MacMurrough finds that he is unable to rid himself of his fascination with the two boys, their relationship and their pact to swimming, claiming the Muglins. The night before Easter Sunday, Doyler leaves his duties as army member and visits Jim: They renew their pact, confessing their love for each other. The next morning, Easter Sunday, Jim and Doyler successfully swim to the Muglins. Not only they are claiming the islands with an Irish green flag, but they are as well loving each other. On their swim back to Forty Foot, as Doyler is close to drowning, MacMurrough rescues both of them.

While Doyler rests and recovers at MacMurroughs house, Jim feels responsible for the duties his friend cannot carry out. As the Easter Rising takes place, Jim grabs the uniform of Doyler and joins the fighting for the Irish Volunteers at Dublin downtown. Meanwhile, MacMurrough does not realize Jim's action. Moreover, MacMurrough is attracted by the physical presence of Doyler in a way he cannot withstand.

When Doyler discovers what Jim has done, both Doyler and MacMurrough go searching for Jim. As they approach downtown Dublin where the fighting is occurring, Doyler sees Jim standing in the open. Just as the two are about to be reunited, Doyler realizes that a weapon is about to shoot at Jim. Doyler flings himself over Jim for protection and is himself fatally wounded.

Characters in "At Swim, Two Boys"

"Jim" is the son of shopkeeper Mr. Mack, running a small shop for everyday people's needs at Glasthule, close to Dublin. Jim is depicted as a rather naïve scholar boy and has a shy appearance: [Lark, L.: "At Swim, Two Boys", "RALPH, The Review of Arts, Literature, Philosophy and the Humanities", Volume XXXI Number 3, [http://www.ralphmag.org/BP/swim-two.html published at RalphMag.org] , Early Fall 2002] Jim Mack is worried about self-abuse and going to hell as he tries to obey to rules of church. When getting close his very first kiss in love and touches of love, he cannot withstand and withdraws. Still he has a clear mind, sharp ideas and thoughts. He identifies the swimming to the Mugglins of both boys as their unification, their very own experience no one can ever take them away.

"Doyler" is the dark diamond son of Mr. Doyle, who is Mr. Mack's old army pal. Doyler has grown up under poor circumstances, hence he already knows quite a lot about life and is not naïve any more at all. Doyler used to be Jim's friend when they were about twelve, but Doyler left town looking for work and his Irish roots for some time. As Doyler returns and the story takes places, Jim and Doyler are both aged 15 to 16 years old. Doyler is patriotic to the Irish workers front and joins the Irish Citizen Army.

"Madame Eveline MacMurrough" is depicted as the daughter of a famous republican figure in the local patriotic history. She supports the troops with socks to warm the soldiers' feet's in the name of Ireland, organizes a garden party to enliven the patriotic society and its clubs. Finally, she even backs up the Republicans by providing them with weapons for the Easter Rising.

"Anthony MacMurrough" is the nephew of Eveline MacMurrough. Jim calls him "McEmm" as the story develops. At the novel's outset, MacMurrough has stayed in prison serving two years' hard labour for acts of gross indecency, due to him being engaged with a chauffeur-mechanic boy. As he returns to Ireland, his previous cellmate "Scrotes" follows in his mind, providing an internal ghostly friend, supporting the soliloquizing of MacMurrough. Staying at the home of his nationalist aunt Eveline MacMurrough, she pushes him to become a patriotic Irishmen, mentoring and leading, eventually getting married. However, MacMurrough is not happy at his determined role, rests drawn back in the idea of being earmarked for his homosexuality. It is only when he becomes a mentor to Jim and Doyler individually, teaching them about swimming as well as homosexuality and philosophy, he opens.

Awards and Nominations

2002 Lambda Literary Award, section Gay men's fiction
2002 [http://www.ferrogrumley.org/ Ferro-Grumley Literary Award]

Film, TV, theatrical or dance adaptations

2005 [http://www.earthfall.org.uk/ Earthfall Dance Company] [Farrier, P: "At Swim Two Boys", "The Stage", [http://www.thestage.co.uk/reviews/review.php/7875/earthfall-at-swim-two-boys The Stage Reviews, 20 May 2005] ] [Leask, J: "Boys will be Homo-erotic Slip Slidin' Away with Earthfall", "The Dance Insider", [http://www.danceinsider.com/f2006/f0512_1.html Flash Review, 5-12, 2006] ]

External links

* Homepage of [http://www.iol.ie/~atswim/ Jamie O'Neill]

* Map at Google of [http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=106197405591731879811.00000113119872db5addb&ie=UTF8&ll=53.284101,-6.098442&spn=0.036073,0.080338&t=h&z=14&iwloc=00000113119f0dd2a4620 The Muglins and Forty Foot]

* [http://www.voy.com/178082/ Forum focussing on the novel]

* [http://www.metroweekly.com/feature/index.php?ak=267 Interview with Jamie O'Neill] on his novel (MetroWeekly)

* [http://www.estudiosirlandeses.org/Issue2/Issue%202/pdf/AtSwimTwoBoys(ADiazBild).pdf Essay by Aída Díaz-Bild]

* [http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-31217804_ITM Critical essay: Intertextual re-creation in Jamie O'Neill's "At Swim, Two Boys"]

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