����ý

A lot of Paddy’s recounts and descriptions are fragments of stories. He tends to jump from one thing to another in the manner of a child whose concentration does not stay with one topic for long.

Doyle uses a stream of consciousness for Paddy’s description of how the boys play “Grand National”. Liam breaks his teeth, but in the boys’ unforgiving world, "It was no one’s fault except his own.”

Interwoven with the description of Liam’s broken teeth are digressions on explaining the game, the time Kevin broke Mrs Quigley’s window and the possible reasons for the Quigleys’ childlessness.

These non sequiturs can be very comical at times, but the fragmented style of storytelling is also evocative of a child’s speech patterns and therefore makes Paddy’s voice more realistic.

Doyle also captures the childish desire to run and be carefree in his fast paced description of the Grand National game.