Old God’s Time Characters

Tom Kettle is a retired detective and the protagonist of the novel. At the beginning of the narrative, he is nine months into his retirement, which he enjoys in the seaside town of Dalkey, Ireland… read analysis of Tom Kettle

June was Tom’s beloved wife. Although she is long dead by the beginning of the novel, she is nonetheless an extremely important character in how her absence haunts Tom. As a young girl, June… read analysis of June Kettle

Winnie is Tom and June’s late daughter. At the beginning of the novel, Winnie visits Tom at his flat and is portrayed as a lively, conscientious daughter—but Tom soon reveals that Winnie is dead… read analysis of Winnie Kettle

Joe is Tom and June’s late son. Tom describes him as having been a rambunctious and sometimes troublesome child, in contrast to the more upbeat and innocent Winnie. Joe was gay, which was a… read analysis of Joseph “Joe” Kettle

Wilson is one of the detectives currently investigating the murder of Thaddeus Matthews, along with his partner O’Casey. Upon his and O’Casey’s first visit to Tom’s flat, he bonds with Tom by… read analysis of Wilson

O’Casey, along with his partner Wilson, is investigating the murder of Thaddeus Matthews. O’Casey is slightly junior to Wilson and somewhat more reserved; however, like Wilson, he is warm towards Tom and even… read analysis of O’Casey

Thaddeus Matthews was a pedophilic priest. Decades before the start of the novel, Tom and his partner Billy investigated Matthews along with his colleague Father Joseph Byrne for their widespread abuse of children. However, Matthews… read analysis of Thaddeus Matthews

Joseph Byrne is a pedophilic priest. He was close to fellow pedophile Father Thaddeus Matthews and was with Matthews in the mountains the day he was murdered. Although Tom and his partner Billy’s initial… read analysis of Joseph Byrne

Mr. Tomelty is Tom’s landlord and the wealthy owner of various properties around Dalkey. Despite his wealth, he normally dresses in ragged clothes and spends most of his time gardening in solitude. At one… read analysis of Mr. Tomelty

Eliza Tomelty is Mr. Tomelty’s wife. Tom meets her in the Tomeltys’ flat one night, where she spends a great deal of time talking to Tom and showing him the book she wrote about… read analysis of Eliza Tomelty

Ms. McNulty is Tom’s neighbor, a young woman with a son named Jesse. Tom meets her after he sees a boy, whom he believes to be Jesse, pushed into the sea by a… read analysis of Ms. McNulty

Jesse is Ms. McNulty’s young son. He often dances with a cane out by the sea and is generally upbeat despite the death of his sister at the hands of his father. At the… read analysis of Jesse McNulty

Ronnie is Tom’s neighbor. He is a cellist, whose playing Tom can hear through the walls. He also enjoys using his rifle to shoot cormorants on the rocks from his balcony. When Tom visits… read analysis of Ronnie McGillicuddy

Billy was a detective in Dublin and Tom’s partner. The two of them investigated Fathers Matthews and Byrne for their sexual abuse of children, but they are unsuccessful due to suppression from the police… read analysis of Billy Drury