Dubliners

Mrs. Kearney, an independent woman who finds all her suitors boring, eventually marries Mr. Kearney in order to stem the gossip of her peers. Although Mr. Kearney is older and dispassionate, he is a good husband and a good father to their children. Mrs. Kearney hires an Irish language teacher for their daughter, Kathleen, who begins to grow in popularity. One day their friend Mr. Holohan, who is organizing a series of concerts, hires Kathleen to be the piano accompanist. Mrs. Kearney negotiates a contract for eight guineas and helps with all the preparations, taking on the majority of the responsibility. At the first concert, Mrs. Kearney observes that the crowd is lackluster and the performers are disappointing. The following concert is slightly better, but the third is canceled. The fourth and final show moves forward, though Mrs. Kearney is adamant that her daughter is paid for all four as specified in their agreement. At the final concert, Kathleen and Mrs. Kearney visit with the other players and social visitors, including Kathleen’s friend Miss Healy. Mrs. Kearney becomes increasingly frantic about the money her daughter is owed, and finally announces that Kathleen won’t be performing without payment.