To me, one of the most intriguing things about the film is that Colm did go to the pub and interact freely with others, just not with Pádraic. I agree that he'd been having suicidal thoughts. He talks about his despair in the confessional. For a while, I wondered, "Is he angling for suicide by proxy?" But then he doesn't stay in his burning house. He's so much more fascinating because he doesn't isolate himself totally.