The Collegians by Gerald Griffin

First published: 1829

Type of work: Novel

Type of plot: Domestic tragedy

Time of work: Late eighteenth century

Locale: Ireland

The Story:

Hardness Cregan and Kyrle Daly had been companions in their college days, in spite of the fact that Kyrle was of the middle classes and Hardress was the son of an Irish gentleman. Their respective ranks were close enough, however, so that they could respect each other and not be ashamed of their friendship. After leaving college, they maintained the same close relationship, for they lived not far from each other. In fact, Kyrle, who had begun the study of law, became a suitor for the hand of Hardress’ cousin, Ann Chute, a suit in which Kyrle had the good will of his friend.

Hardress Cregan, a spirited young man, lived more for sports and good times; he was actually shy in the presence of women, although he was bold enough in the face of danger. He was also disdainful of people from the lower classes as his attitude toward them revealed. One morning, Kyrle’s family watched from a window of their house as Hardress ran down some fishermen with his yacht, when such action could have been averted by a slight shift of the yacht’s tiller.

That same day, Kyrle set out for Chute Castle to attend the races and to press his suit with Ann Chute. He did not know that on board Hardress’ yacht was Eily O’Connor, a young woman of the lower classes and the daughter of a ropemaker. Hardress had secretly married Eily a month before. The young woman was beautiful, but Hardress was afraid to make his marriage public, for he knew that his mother expected him to marry a young woman of wealth and position. He had taken Eily on board his yacht and was sailing with her up the coast, where he intended lodging her close to his family’s home in the cottage of his servant’s sister. She had consented to go with him and to stay away from her father’s home only because Hardress had promised to acknowledge her publicly as his bride within a matter of days. Hardress knew that he was safe in settling her with the sister of his servant, Danny Mann, because Danny, a hunchback, was devotedly loyal to his headstrong master.

At Chute Castle that same afternoon, Kyrle’s suit for the hand of Ann was ended. The girl told Kyrle in definite terms that she could not marry him, although she loved no one else. That night, Kyrle met Hardress at the cottage where the latter had taken Eily. Kyrle was too distraught to notice anything unusual in the fact that the girl was with his friend. Hardress promised to do everything he could to assist Kyrle in marrying Ann.

Ann accepted the invitation to stay at the home of Hardress’ parents. A few days after her arrival, she confided to a sick old huntsman that she was in love with Hardress. Just before the old man died, he told his master that someone was in love with the young man. He did not, however, tell who loved him, but Hardress’ mother soon realized the love Ann had for her son. Even though the young people were cousins, she approved of the match and threw them together at every opportunity. When Hardress tried to avoid Ann, his mother scolded him bitterly. Her attitude completely prevented the young man from revealing his marriage to Eily.

Eily, meanwhile, grew restive when her husband refused to acknowledge her as his bride; even the people with whom she stayed did not know that Hardress was her husband. As the weeks went by, she realized that she had outworn her welcome among the peasants with whom she was quartered. Above all, she found her husband acting very strangely when he visited her. The girl asked him the reasons for his strangeness and for his reluctance to admit to the world that she was his wife. When she did, he burst out in anger, pointing out that he had married below his station and was very sorry he had done so. It was then that he realized his love for Ann. Leaving the cottage in a rage, he met his confidential servant, the hunchbacked Danny Mann. The servant was so devoted to his master that he promised to do away with the girl if Hardress so wished. His shocking offer brought Hardress to his senses, although he was still torn between his duty to his unacknowledged wife and his love for Ann.

At home, Hardress became increasingly perplexed by the love that Ann openly showed for him as well as his mother’s wishes that he marry the girl. Gradually, his desire to marry Ann overcame his sense of duty to his secret bride.

In the meantime, Eily decided to let someone know of her marriage. Leaving the cottage, she went to see an uncle, the parish priest in a village not far from where she was staying. She told her uncle that she was married, but obedience to her husband kept her from telling who the husband was. Upon her return to the cottage, she met Danny Mann, who gave her a letter from Hardress. Finally yielding to temptation and resolving to be rid of Eily, he had commissioned Danny to spirit her out of Ireland and put her on a boat bound for Canada. In the letter, he told his wife of his decision; Eily, still obedient to her husband, submitted to his wishes.

Danny, however, misinterpreted his master’s commands and murdered the girl. Hardress realized too late what had happened, but in spite of the blood on his hands, he determined to marry Ann. His hope was that Danny would disappear for good and that the crime would never be discovered. As plans were being made for the wedding, Hardress began to act rather strangely. No one knew of the crime that was preying on his mind; people attributed his strange actions to cowardice and illness.

Quite by chance, a short time before the date set for the marriage, Eily’s body was discovered. At the inquest, nothing was learned of the girl’s death. Although the coroner suspected foul play, it seemed as if Hardress’ plans were to work out successfully. Then, on the day before the marriage, Danny returned and was captured by the authorities. For a time, it seemed as if fate were with the criminals. Hardress was able to effect his servant’s escape, but Danny continued to linger in the neighborhood, much to Hardress’ dismay. Discovering the servant, he beat the hunchback unmercifully. In revenge, Danny went to the authorities, confessed his crimes, and thus implicated his master. Hardress, a few hours before his wedding, was taken from his home and sent into exile as a criminal. Danny Mann was hanged.

A happy ending of the tragedy came when, some months later, Ann married Kyrle Daly, who she found was really a better man and more worthy of her love than wealthier and more spirited Hardress Cregan.

Critical Evaluation:

Gerald Griffin was a dramatist and poet as well as a novelist, but his chief claim to fame is THE COLLEGIANS, which was extremely popular in the years immediately after its publication. The story is more familiar to Americans in drama form, having been dramatized by Dion Boucicault under the title of THE COLLEEN BAWN, a play that capitalized upon the melodramatic qualities of the novel. Griffin attempted to do for the Irish and Ireland what Sir Walter Scott had done in portraying Scotland and the Scottish people, and like Scott, Griffin was intensely interested in the folk traditions, customs, and personalities of the people about whom he wrote. The pages of THE COLLEGIANS are filled with items of Irish folklore and more than a little attention has been paid to capturing the language of the peasants.

Padraic Colum has called THE COLLEGIANS the best of the Irish Romantic novels. THE COLLEGIANS possesses a unique charm and vitality. It is definitely a young author’s book, and it is no surprise to learn that Griffin was only twenty-five years old when it was written. A novel of love and murder, it is also a book rich with native humor and filled with delightful characterizations of the Irish folk. The book treads dangerously close to preciousness but fortunately misses that fatal flaw.

The superstitions of the common people are used like embroidery to fill out the picture of Irish life. A wonderful example is when Lowry Looby meets the redhaired woman on his way to get his new job, turns back because it is unlucky to meet a redheaded woman on a journey, and thus loses the job. A certain morbid quality, however, is also discernible in many of the characters; shadings of light and dark in their personalities give them a unique vividness.

It seems that the higher an individual’s station in life, the more serious and rational he or she is portrayed. The lower classes and servants tend to be filled with comic chatter and droll observations and to perform comic routines that hold up the narrative. Eily O’Connor and her ropemaker father are the exceptions to the rule that the poor folk must be humorous, and they are soon established as living below their proper station. This is particularly true of Eily, for her beauty and learning set her apart from the other village girls; this is the beginning of her tragedy. Eily is described repeatedly as too elegant for a peasant girl but too modest to claim the rank of gentlewoman. In this world, it is necessary that no individual challenge class distinctions; lose sight of one’s proper place and one will have an unfortunate end.

By the same token, Hardress should have known better than to stoop to marry a peasant; by betraying his class, he could only bring disaster to all concerned. His arrogance, however, is such that he believes he can get away with anything and can force people to do what he desires. Eily and Hardress upset the social balance and must pay the consequences. The world in which they live is a hard one and allows for no escape from its rules.

Principal Characters:

• Eily O’Connor, a beautiful girl of the lower classes
• Hardress Cregan, a spirited young man of wealth
• Ann Chute, a young woman of the upper classes and Cregan’s beloved
• Kyrle Daly, a college friend of Cregan and Ann Chute’s beloved
• Danny Mann, Cregan’s villainous servant
• Mrs. Cregan, Hardress Cregan’s mother