Father Declan de Loughry is the novel’s protagonist and the narrator of the frame story. A round and dynamic character, he undergoes a significant spiritual and emotional transformation while hearing Enda’s story and in the aftermath of Kevin’s funeral. His primary struggle is the internal conflict between his identity as a man and his duties as a priest. Initially, he reacts to Kevin’s deathbed revelation with doctrinal rigidity, viewing the couple’s unmarried status as a grave sin that requires immediate confession and rectification. He is “personally mortified for the two of” them and insists that Enda must tell her story in the confessional (12). This adherence to dogma represents his commitment to his priestly role, a role that demands he act as an agent of God’s judgment.

However, as Enda’s narrative unfolds, Declan’s compassion as a man begins to override his severity as a priest. He is drawn into the traumatic reality of her and Kevin’s shared past, and his preconceived judgments start to dissolve. This conflict reaches a crisis point when, in a moment of frustration, he reverts to his inquisitorial role and accuses Enda of ongoing sexual sin.