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Jack Power
Cunningham is the eldest and most esteemed of the story’s main friend group (consisting of himself, Jack Power, M’Coy, and Tom Kernan). While Jack Power proposes the plan to bring Kernan to a Catholic retreat to remedy his binge-drinking problem, Cunningham takes the lead from him for two reasons: first, he is seen as the most “influential and intelligent” of the men (his friends even believe that he looks like Shakespeare). Second, he himself is married to “an incurable drunkard” who has pawned off their furniture repeatedly, so he has firsthand knowledge of the effects that a drinking problem can have on a household. As the four men sit in Kernan’s house discussing the upcoming retreat, Cunningham acts as the authority during the ensuing conversation: whether the topic is the history of the Jesuit Order or various papal mottos, Cunningham answers definitely and inspires the other men. However, he is frequently incorrect, mistaking small historical details or mixing up the languages of the papal mottos. Cunningham exemplifies the hypocrisy of those who make a big deal of their religious devotion yet lack any actual moral superiority to those who are less devout.
Martin Cunningham Quotes in Grace
The Grace quotes below are all either spoken by Martin Cunningham or refer to Martin Cunningham. 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:
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Grace Quotes
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With this statement, Jack Power declares his intent to intervene in the professional and social descent of his friend Mr. Kernan. He assures Kernan’s wife, Mrs. Kernan, that he and another friend, Martin Cunningham, will put Kernan on the path of redemption. In intervening so purposefully in Kernan’s life and incorporating other friends in that intervention, Power demonstrates his unwavering commitment to his friendship and the way that communities of friends can support each other. He also makes it clear that that commitment is unconditional: even though Kernan’s status in Dublin society has significantly fallen, Power puts his time and Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus
--Yes, that’s it, said Mr Cunningham, Jack and I and M’Coy here – we’re all going to wash the pot.
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In this quotation, Mr. Cunningham makes the first direct reference to the retreat he, Power, and M’Coy intend to use to set Kernan back on the right track, where they will all confess their sins and start anew. The metaphor that Cunningham uses to describe confessing one’s sins—to wash the pot—is an unusual one, likely derived from Dublin slang. By using this specific metaphor, Cunningham likens sin and misdoings to remnants of food that must be disposed of—washed away—if the soul is to be “clean.” The metaphor also draws on imagery of everyday work and labor: rather than going immediately Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. H
Every other order of the Church has to be reformed at some time or other but the Jesuit Order was never once reformed. It never fell away.
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This quotation occurs during a long, detailed discussion between Kernan, Power, M’Coy, Cunningham, and eventually Fogarty that takes up much of the story. In the conversation, the men discuss various pieces of Catholic Church history and theology as they try to convince Kernan to attend a Catholic retreat with them. In this quotation, Martin Cunningham claims that the Jesuit Order, a Catholic religious order well-regarded in Ireland, has never been changed throughout the history of the Church. However, Cunningham’s remark is illogical. The Jesuits were founded in 1534, making them relatively young in terms of Church history: widespread religious reform Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi soluta perspiciatis. Ut minima autem. Modi omnis iure. Sint qui qui. Qui similique praesentium. Ex consequatur ma
--But, of course, said Mr Cunningham quietly and effectively, our religion is the religion, the old, original faith.
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Following Kernan’s happy recollection of once going to see Father Tom Burke, a popular Catholic preacher, with his Protestant friend Crofton, Kernan and his friends ponder the often violent division between Protestants and Catholics in Irish society. Power, M’Coy, and Kernan wonder if the two religious sects have more in common than either side acknowledges, but Cunningham quickly puts an end to the conversation with this statement, unequivocally declaring Catholicism the superior faith. All of the main characters in “Grace” are Catholics, though with varying degrees of faith; Cunningham is relatively devout (even if he makes mistakes about Church doctrine), Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. An
--Allow me, said Mr Cunningham positively, it was Lux upon Lux. And Pius IX. his predecessor’s motto was Crux upon Crux that is, Cross upon Cross – to show the difference between their two pontificates.
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This quotation is part of a long, complex conversation shared between Kernan, Power, M’Coy, Cunningham, and to a lesser extent, Fogarty, in which the five men discuss Church history and theology and subtly try to one-up each other with their knowledge. Here, Cunningham intervenes in a discussion about papal mottos, definitively claiming that the motto of Pope Leo XIII was “Lux upon Lux” and his predecessor Pius IX’s was “Crux upon Crux.” Both of these mottos are linguistic absurdity. “Lux” and “Crux” are Latin words—meaning “light” and “cross” respectively—while “upon” is an English word. To combine them both in one Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corpor
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Martin Cunningham Character Timeline in Grace
The timeline below shows where the character Martin Cunningham appears in Grace. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Grace
...that he’ll help him make a fresh start anyway. He promises to bring someone named Martin over to speak with Kernan soon, and then he says goodbye to Mrs. Kernan and...
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Two nights later, three of Kernan’s friends—Mr. Power, Mr. Cunningham, and Mr. M’Coy—arrive at the Kernans’ house. Kernan is unaware that he's the victim of...
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When the men told Mrs. Kernan about their plan, she expressed her trust in Cunningham. However, Mrs. Kernan is more of a habitual Catholic than a devout one, and she...
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...he’s the secretary to the City Coroner, which makes him professionally interested in helping Kernan. Cunningham asserts that Kernan’s drinking is what’s making him sick, but Kernan denies it. Next, Cunningham...
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After the bottle of stout (dark beer), has been passed around, Mr. Cunningham subtly brings up a spiritual retreat that he, Power, and M’Coy are all planning to...
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...the proposal, the conversation turns to the Jesuits, an order of the Catholic Church. Mr. Cunningham and Mr. M’Coy each showily share their admiration for the Jesuits, proclaiming that the General...
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...the upper classes, but he criticizes “secular priests,” whom he finds foolish and arrogant. Mr. Cunningham disagrees, arguing that the entire Irish priesthood is honorable and world-renowned. Kernan thinks about this...
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...him with a friend Crofton, and he talks about how much they loved Burke’s sermons. Cunningham soon interjects, pointing out that Crofton was a Protestant Orangeman and therefore wasn’t supposed to...
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...points of Protestant theology that he can contribute to the conversation. He ends up asking Cunningham if he’s correct in thinking that some of the older popes were less than ideal,...
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That Thursday, Kernan, Power, Cunningham, M’Coy, and Fogarty arrive at the Gardiner Street Jesuit Church for the retreat. They sit...
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