Binding 13

Johnny Kavanagh is the other protagonist and narrator of the novel. He is 17 years old, almost 18, and in his final year at Tommen College when Shannon starts there. He is originally from Dublin but moved to Ballylaggin at the age of 11 as his parents thought it would be better for him to be out of the city. He harbors resentment toward them over the move, thinking that it hindered his ability to play rugby. Throughout the novel, he is portrayed as arrogant because of his exceptional rugby skills, but he is also caring and kind—at least where Shannon is concerned. He also openly assaults several people in the novel, revealing his anger and violent side, but again considers his actions justified as they are in defense of Shannon.

Johnny is representative of the theme of The Pressures of Athletic Excellence on Youth. He notes that his obsessive focus on rugby has robbed him of a typical childhood. Because of the pressure he faces, he lies about his rugby injury and struggles with immense pain, jeopardizing his future health by refusing to take a break from the game to heal. However, like Shannon, he changes in the novel through their relationship. Just before his injury, he confesses the amount of pain that he is in and his fears to Shannon, opening up for the first time and taking the first step toward escaping the pressure he faces. As his rugby future is uncertain at the novel’s conclusion, he has at least taken the first steps toward forming a healthy relationship with Shannon—the first peer relationship of his life that does not center around rugby.

Joey is Shannon’s 18-year-old brother. He is a hurling player with hopes of playing professionally. He is in his final year at the public school from which Shannon transfers at the start of the novel. Unlike Shannon, Joey is popular in school and easily forms friendships with others. Joey is a key component of The Importance of Family and Community Support for Shannon, as he and his girlfriend, Aoife, are the only people who know the truth about Shannon’s father and can therefore help her through it. However, Joey is also internally conflicted throughout the novel. While he feels the desire to help Shannon, he also feels as though there is only so much he can do. He physically fends off his father to protect Shannon but also refuses to go to the authorities due to what happened to his older brother, Darren, in foster care. As a result, he is torn between the desire to escape his difficult home life and the need to help Shannon. Ultimately, he stands up to their father one final time in the conclusion of the text, demanding that their mother choose between her children and her abusive husband.

As Joey is for Shannon, Gibsie is a key component of the support that Johnny needs in his struggles throughout the novel. He is both Johnny’s teammate and his best friend. His relationship with Johnny is so strong that he lets himself into Johnny’s house and room whenever he wants, often forcing Johnny to get out of bed and attempting to get him to experience life outside of rugby. In an attempt to be loyal to Johnny, Gibsie also keeps Johnny’s injury a secret, allowing Johnny to continue to play and risk long-term consequences. However, at the end of the novel, he recognizes that he has been too complacent and finally stands up to Johnny, telling him that he will no longer hide his secret and that he needs to take a break from rugby, stressing that his health is more important than his rugby game.

Teddy Lynch, Shannon’s father, is the primary antagonist in the novel. He physically and emotionally abuses Shannon, Joey, and their mother throughout the novel—often slapping, punching, and even choking Shannon to the point that she struggles to breathe. He is largely a one-dimensional, flat character, with his abuse seemingly motivated by misogynistic fears around Shannon’s developing sexuality. Ironically, his abuses have the opposite of their intended effect. He abuses Shannon as punishment for being with boys, but this abuse drives her to seek comfort and safety in her relationship with Johnny.