Quang Hai
Junior Member
- Joined
- Feb 3, 2013
- Member Type
- Interested in Language
- Native Language
- Vietnamese
- Home Country
- Vietnam
- Current Location
- Vietnam
I am reading Midwinter break, a book of an Irish novelist. The District Council began building an estate of council houses to rent in the village and people were asked to apply. A poor family prayed that they would get a four-bedroom house there. They even did a novena of Masses.
"But when the time came didn’t the powers that be, Unionist to a man, award the four-bedroom house to one of their own – a Protestant policeman. A widower, a sergeant in the RUC, who lost his wife to cancer. With one teenage son. What need had they of such accommodation?"
I guess the underlined words means "the magic power did not come" Is that correct? The structure looks strange to me.
Also "Unionist to a man" means "all unionist are same" does it? Or it means: "all unionist agree"?
Thanks for your help.
"But when the time came didn’t the powers that be, Unionist to a man, award the four-bedroom house to one of their own – a Protestant policeman. A widower, a sergeant in the RUC, who lost his wife to cancer. With one teenage son. What need had they of such accommodation?"
I guess the underlined words means "the magic power did not come" Is that correct? The structure looks strange to me.
Also "Unionist to a man" means "all unionist are same" does it? Or it means: "all unionist agree"?
Thanks for your help.