Cork, Ireland, Early Twenty-First Century

Cork is the primary setting of The Glorious Heresies. Cork is the hometown of nearly every character, and where they all choose to live throughout the novel. Although Cork is a decently sized city, the characters all feel it seeming to shrink around them as their lives become more and more interconnected. This is mimicked in the actual topography of Cork; the city is on a hill, so the farther one gets from the city center, the smaller the city appears.

Government Housing in Cork, Ireland, Early Twenty-First Century

The Cusacks and Tara Duane all live in government subsidized housing in Cork. As such, these small houses are where Ryan comes into his manhood, is beaten by his father, and is raped by Tara, where Tony is intimidated by Jimmy, and where Tara is killed. The people who live in these houses do not...