Plot details follow. Caution is advised!
| “ | Declan was tired of managing secrets. There was nothing brilliant about dreaming for the one left awake. | ” |
—A Very Declan Christmas | ||
Declan T. Lynch is the eldest child of Niall and Aurora Lynch, and the older brother of Ronan and Matthew Lynch.
Biography[]
As the eldest of the three Lynch brothers, Declan is the enforcer of their father's will, which keeps him and his brothers from visiting their mother and childhood home. Before his father's death, Declan would frequently accompany his father to the Fairy Market where Niall would sell his dream creations to earn money for the family. Declan was also trained to box by Niall, just like his brothers.
Declan attended Aglionby Academy when he was younger. After graduating, he moved to Washington, D.C. to attend college. He still makes the four-hour round trip to Henrietta every Sunday so that he can continue the Lynch family's tradition of attending church together. Declan is politically ambitious and has an internship with a politician named Mark Randal.
Call Down the Hawk[]
Declan lives with Matthew in his Alexandria townhouse. He visits the Fairy Market with Ronan, where he purchases a painting known as The Dark Lady. He knows it is a dream object made by Niall, and that it is a portrait of his biological mother and not Aurora as everyone thinks. Eventually, Declan gives in to impulse and retrieves the number his father left inside the portrait in order to contact Mór Ó Corra, his biological mother.
He meets Jordan Hennessy and begins to fall in love with her. Dating Jordan begins to draw him out of his perfectly boring façade to the burning desire for more that runs in his veins as surely as it does in Ronan. Declan asks Jordan to accompany him when he attempts to meet his mother. Instead of meeting her, they encounter The new Fenian, who looks identical to Niall, and who advises Declan and Jordan to stay away from both Mór Ó Corra and Boudicca for their own safety.
Later, upon learning that Jordan is a dream creature, he ends their relationship because he "can't love another one."
Personality[]
Declan is not a particularly warm or friendly person. He is called "the less shiny brother." He acts very professional. He is extremely protective of his younger brothers. He is overly strict with them because he was forced to become responsible for the family at a young age, and because he knows that his brothers could be in terrible danger if anyone found out what they are. He does everything he can to be a good parent for Matthew especially, including reading articles on parenting and being in close contact with Matthew’s school.
Growing up, Declan always felt like an outsider in his own family. Niall clearly favored Ronan because he had inherited his same ability. Matthew was Aurora’s favorite, which left Declan as no one’s favorite family member. When it is revealed that Aurora isn’t his mother, it is yet another reason why Declan feels like an outsider. It is clear that Declan just wanted Niall’s approval.
Declan’s bland, normal personality is revealed to be a front. He deliberately acts as practical and boring as possible because he believes Niall’s braggadocio and intrigue endangered himself and their family. Like Niall, Declan is skilled in the practice of story-telling and lying. He also finds enjoyment in secretive and criminal behavior. He has a passion for the arts, going to art openings and maintaining a private art collection featuring the words of artists such as Pierre Soulages and Hans Stubenrauch.
Gansey calls Declan a “man-whore” because he has sex with a girl and dumps them the next day for another one. He appears to have a somewhat stable relationship with Ashley, only it is revealed that there were actually three different Ashleys that he dated.
Declan is also an insomniac.
Physical Description[]
Declan has dark brown hair, "perfectly controlled curls," blue eyes, a sharp nose, which he inherited from Niall, a wide jaw, and a solid build. His smile says, "Vote for me." He is described as very handsome. Declan is usually seen wearing suits, which have been noted to make him appear thirty.
Relationships[]
Romances[]
Declan meets Jordan at the Fairy Market as she forges John Singer Sargent’s The Streets of Venice. He gives her his number on a card, which she later uses to lure him out of his home so her family can steal The Dark Lady. Jordan and Declan go on a few dates. They break into a mansion so Jordan can paint Declan. Declan asks for her to come with him to meet Mór Ó Corra. Their relationship begins to progress much further. Declan even takes Jordan back to his place to show her his private art collection in his attic. To his great dismay, he learns that she is a dream creature, which makes him abruptly end their relationship because he “can’t love another one.”
Their relationship seemingly continues throughout The Raven Cycle. However, it is revealed in Call Down the Hawk that Declan had actually dated three different Ashleys over the course of the series, all seemingly similar in appearance and personality.
Family[]
Declan and his brother Ronan stopped getting along when their father died. Nevertheless, Declan feels responsible for Ronan. They, along with their younger brother Matthew, go to church every Sunday and sit together. It is revealed that Declan is and has been protecting Ronan for many years, keeping the secret that Ronan, like their father, has the ability to remove objects and living creatures from his dreams. It was this ability that got their father killed, and Declan, while being beaten and threatened, refuses to tell Mr. Gray that Ronan has the same ability. Their relationship seems to heal somewhat after they come to the understand that they had experienced two very different sides of their father.
TBW
Niall always made it very clear to Declan that Ronan was his favorite son. Niall would talk about Ronan’s birth like it was a fantastic event, but when Declan asked about his own birth, Niall answered flatly, “Wouldn’t know. I wasn’t there.” Declan loved his father, but he viewed Niall’s behavior as reckless and dangerous. Declan ends up resenting his father for leaving him and his brothers defenseless and unprepared for dealing with the world of dreamers. In times of distress, Declan is prone to curse his father’s memory, even when it’s not applicable.
Aurora appears to have loved Declan despite not being his biological mother. He is the one to see her fall asleep two days after Niall’s death. However, it is also mentioned that, unlike his brothers, he isn’t able to love Aurora on the same level as his brothers because of his skepticism.
TBW
Possessions[]
- Volvo: Declan's car, he keeps it very clean and shiny.
Appearances[]
- The Raven Boys
- The Dream Thieves
- Blue Lily, Lily Blue (mentioned only)
- The Raven King
- Call Down the Hawk
- Mister Impossible
- Greywaren
Trivia[]
- When Aurora is awakened from her dream sleep, Declan is not present. He is also appears to never visit her.
- He has a business card with just his name and number printed on it, despite being an intern.
Gallery[]
