Act III
Act III opens two months later on a November evening.
Juno is wondering why Charlie Bentham has fled without saying goodbye to Mary. She has not heard from him for a month.
Mary is not well, seemingly because of her grief at Bentham's leaving. Her mother is preparing to bring her to see a doctor.
Debts are collected
Neighbours are arriving to claim back money from the Boyles as they have not been paid for any of the things purchased in Act II.
Needle Nugent - the local tailor - wants his suit back. Maisie Madigan - friendly with the Boyle’s in the previous act - takes their gramophone as she knows she will not be repaid.
Joxer is present for all this and begins an argument with Jack about whether his fortune is coming at all.
Johnny also begins needling his father about embarrassing everyone with his pretense at being wealthy.
Mary has news
When Juno arrives home from the doctor we find out that Mary is pregnant.
She knows how Mary will be stigmatisedSomeone or something that is unfairly regarded by people as being negative or disgraceful. about this because of the society of the time.
She pleads with Jack to use the remaining inheritance money so they can move somewhere else where they will not be known.
No money
Boyle reveals that Bentham - who drafted his relative’s will - made a mess of it and the legacyAn amount of money or property left to a person in a will. is worthless.
Both Johnny and Boyle show little compassion for Mary and are worried only about the disgrace she will bring to the family.
Jack disowns her and as usual escapes for drinks with Joxer.
There seems to be hope when Jerry Devine shows up asking Mary for another chance now that she has split up with Bentham, but he too rejects her when he learns of her pregnancy.
Johnny is dragged away
As men come to empty the apartment of all the furniture Boyle has bought on credit, two IrregularsA term given to members of the IRA by the Irish Free State government. drag Johnny away, revealing that he was the one who’d given information leading to the murder of Mrs Tancred's son.
Mrs Madigan arrives shortly after to inform the family that a body resembling Johnny's has been found riddled with bullets.
It is now clear that Johnny too has been murdered.
Juno makes a decision
Juno now decides to leave her lazy husband.
She and Mary will live with her sister and raise the baby together. After they leave the stage Jack and Joxer stumble home.
Boyle is unaware that his son is dead or that his wife and daughter have left him.
After a brief garbled conversation he drunkenly lament A formal expression of sorrow or mourning, especially in verse or song. - with the final line in the play - that "th’ whole worl’s ... in a terr ... ible state o' ... chassis".
