Though the young priest never physically appears in the play, he is often referenced by other characters, particularly in the context of his promise to Maurya that God would not leave her destitute with no son living. This promise turns out to be false, which is no surprise to Maurya—she does not believe that that Catholic Church understands the power of the sea. The priest represents the waning of Maurya’s Catholic belief and the powerlessness of God and the Catholic Church to intervene against the sea on behalf of the islanders.
The Young Priest Quotes in Riders to the Sea
The Riders to the Sea quotes below are all either spoken by The Young Priest or refer to The Young Priest. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Act 1
Quotes
“I won’t stop him,” says he, “but let you not be afraid. Herself does be saying prayers half through the night, and the Almighty God won’t leave her destitute,” says he, “with no son living.”
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire Riders to the Sea LitChart as a printable PDF.
The Young Priest Quotes in Riders to the Sea
The Riders to the Sea quotes below are all either spoken by The Young Priest or refer to The Young Priest. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Act 1
Quotes
“I won’t stop him,” says he, “but let you not be afraid. Herself does be saying prayers half through the night, and the Almighty God won’t leave her destitute,” says he, “with no son living.”
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
