, ▁one ▁notable ▁example ▁being ▁the ▁mother ▁of ▁one ▁girl ▁whom ▁he ▁was ▁d ating ▁during ▁his ▁last ▁year ▁of ▁secondary ▁school . ▁ ▁In ▁series ▁ 6 , ▁Carl ▁real izes ▁M icky ▁Mag u ire ▁( C iar án ▁Griff ith s ) ▁is ▁gay ; ▁he ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁few ▁people ▁on ▁the ▁estate , ▁along ▁with ▁Max ine ▁D onn elly ▁( Jo anna ▁H ig son ), ▁his ▁brother ▁Li am ▁and ▁his ▁half - bro ther ▁Ian , ▁who ▁is ▁aware ▁of ▁this . ▁Mic key ▁makes ▁several ▁un success ful ▁passes ▁at ▁Carl . ▁ ▁Through ▁series ▁ 6 ▁and ▁early ▁series ▁ 7 , ▁Carl ▁purs ues ▁and ▁begins ▁a ▁relationship ▁with ▁auxili ary ▁nur se ▁Max ine . ▁Carl ▁breaks ▁up ▁with ▁Max ine ▁after ▁she ▁adm its ▁to ▁having ▁ab orted ▁his ▁child ▁and ▁feeling ▁he ▁is ▁too ▁imm ature ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁father . ▁Carl ▁soon ▁dec ides ▁he ▁wants ▁another ▁chance ▁with ▁Max ine , ▁and ▁is ▁encourag ed ▁when ▁she ▁has ▁sex ▁with ▁him ▁in ▁the ▁J ockey ▁to ile ts . ▁However , ▁he ▁does ▁not ▁know ▁that ▁Max ine ▁only ▁had ▁sex ▁with ▁him ▁to ▁get ▁her ▁mind ▁off ▁Ian , ▁whom ▁she ▁is ▁beginning ▁to ▁have ▁feelings ▁for . ▁Carl ▁propos es ▁to ▁Max ine , ▁but ▁she ▁turns ▁him ▁down . ▁Carl ▁continues ▁to ▁hope ▁until ▁M icky , ▁out ▁of ▁hurt ▁and ▁je alous y , ▁tells ▁Carl ▁about ▁Max ine ▁and ▁Ian .