‘Old God’s Time’ by Sebastian Barry    (2023) – 261 pages

In ‘Old God’s Time’, ex-Garda Tom Kettle is rejoicing in his retirement from the force. He lives alone in an apartment by the ocean, happy to be done with police work.

“There were no saints in any era, Tom knew, just good men and bad, and sometimes both in the same bottle.”

Tom’s wife June, daughter Winnie, and son Joe have all died, so he lives alone.

Tom often waxes lyrical about his current life in retirement as well as about his previous family life.

“These were the gifts given to him in his life, there was no reason to mourn or complain.”

We have the juxtaposition of this Irish lyricism with some truly awful episodes in Ireland’s recent past including the child sex crimes in the Church orphanages, the Magdalene Laundry scandals, etc.

As a policeman, Tom Kettle was on the front lines in confronting these scandals. Actually both Tom and his wife June were both in Church orphanages as little children. So both of them had an intimate knowledge of what was going on inside these Church-run orphanages. For one priest in particular, there is no forgiveness.

“Better to have been born dead, the Brother used to shout, than the filthy melt of a prostitute.”

Perhaps that was the rationalization for some of the priests and brothers for the crimes they committed against these little children. Worst of all is Father Thaddeus :

“I’ve come for my kisses, June.”

Sometimes Tom Kettle applies his colorful language and lyricism to some very ugly things :

“Father Joseph Byrne and Father Thaddeus Matthews, two jackals in a coop devouring little chickens. Filthy, relentless, feckless men who never paused a moment in their evil.”

There is no ambiguity in ‘Old God’s Time’. The good men are all good, and the bad men are horrible. It is like the old TV Westerns in that sense. Perhaps in these circumstances ambiguity is unwarranted.

The entire novel is made up of Tom Kettles reminiscing about his family life and his life on the job as a policeman. Along the way he divulges some closely held family secrets.

“But oftentimes, the unlikely was the truth, as you might find out, in the end, when it was too late.”

Grade :    A-