“I’m trying to study history, not live off its legacy”: Negotiating Borderlines in Jarlath Gregory’s The Organised Criminal

Abstract

Since its creation in 1921, the Irish border has been a source of conflict, with the Troubles being its major flashpoint. After considerable human losses and material damages, both states – Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland – achieved peace with the sign ature of a document in 1998 . The Belfast/Good Friday Agreement brought decades of violence to a halt, and allowed for a united Ireland in case it be the democratic decision taken by the people of both territories. Over the years, the efforts have been put into reconciliatory politics to transform the general regard of the border as an obstacle into new perceptions of it as an opportunity for rappro chement and cooperation. Nevertheless, the Troubles are still present in the minds of a considerable number of citizens, especially in Northern Ireland. This is the idea that articulates most of the narrative in Jarlath Gregory’s novel The Organised Crimi nal , a story set in Crossmaglen, Northern Ireland, about an inter - generational confrontation between father and son that stems from a collision of antagonistic values. This dissertation examines representations of the Irish border as a trope for division a nd conflict, as well as for communion and transformation in Jarlath Gregory’s The Organised Criminal . In the novel, the border distances Jay, the main character, from Frank, his father, as well as from the traumas of the past , both physically and metaphori cally . Nevertheless, it also causes Jay’s comeback to his hometown, forcing him to confront his father and to remember the past he wants to forget . In addition, the border is also the setting that prompts union and cooperation between Jay, Martin – Jay’s g ay best friend – a nd Dolores – Jay’s mother – against Frank and the values he embodies ; that is, Northern Irish hegemonic masculinity.