Galty Cottage Books 'In Terrible Discordance'

Galty Cottage Books

In Terrible Discordance
A Provocative Study of the Great Famine in Cork City and County
by Ed O'Riordan
Foxhunting, Horse Racing, Coursing, Fashion, Feasting, Fine Art, Music, Banquets, Fine Wines, Theatre, Picnics, Regattas, and much more.
Ed has just had a very successful weekend signing Books at the Cork Christmas Indoor Market. Great interest in the book which translated into sales.
"O’Riordan’s forensically and exhaustively researched book is a revelation."
(Book review in Irish Independent Sat. Nov. 19th 2011)

“The sound of the huntsman’s horn and the yelping pack mingle in terrible discordance with the groans of the dying parent and the cries of children perishing for lack of food….”
(Cork Southern Reporter, 13 Mar. 1847)
Now available.
Ensure your copy by ordering now.
edoriordan@gmail.com
086 3840894
See appended Book Launch Report below.
Extracts below.

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Through its four hundred pages and 1200 articles and advertisements gleaned from Cork Newspapers from the years 1846 to 1849, In Terrible Discordance looks at the lives of the Middle and Upper Classes during the Great famine. While the book primarily relates to County Cork - with some overlap into neighbouring counties - it represents conditions and the disparity between the upper and lower classes in many Irish Counties.
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In Terrible Discordance
One of the most striking extracts - from a letter from Jeremiah O'Callaghan in Skibbereen to the Cork Examiner in Sept. 1847 - reads:
“Is it not strange when all parties dread a recurrence of last winter’s horrors, that picnic parties and balls, were never, even in the midst of plenty, of such frequent occurrence in this place?”
(Cork Examiner, 17 Sept. 1847)

Book Launch Report by Sean Landers
It may have been a wild and wet night on the streets of Mitchelstown but the large crowd that had gathered in the historic Town Hall were oblivious. They had gathered in anticipation for the launch of the Ed O'Riordan's book 'In Terrible Discordance' - 'A Provocative Study of The Great Irish Famine in the City and County of Cork'.
It has taken ten years for this work to come to publication and thousands of hours of work by Ed but it certainly has been worth the effort and the wait.
Those assembled in the Town Hall listened attentively to the appreciation speech made by Dr. Larry Geary, Senior Lecturer in Nineteenth Century History in University College Cork. Dr. Geary is a native of Mitchelstown and is also a renowned expert on the Famine period. Dr.Geary praised Ed for his monumental work and for presenting a new and most interesting aspect of the Famine. We are well used to the images of poverty and starvation, evictions and destitution when we think of the Famine but we rarely realise that for many, life as they lived it with its hunting parties, dancing, gatherings, fashions, concerts and sumptuous dining continued as if there was no Famine. Dr. Geary commended Ed's use of primary sources, the Newspapers written at the time (between 1846 and 1849), sources largely ignored particularly in terms of the insight they give about daily life during those terrible years. He noted that Ed presents the material in a novel way moving year by year through the Famine period. Dr. Geary's conclusion is one that will open the ears and eyes of those who have an interest in the Famine in Ireland, academic and non academic alike and must please Ed particularly because Dr. Geary regards this work as a significant contribution to the history of The Famine in Ireland.

When addressing the appreciative crowd, Ed was as magnanimous as usual and thanked many, especially his good wife Karol, who had been a great support to him as he brought his opus to fruition. He particularly thanked Dr. Geary whose inspiration and encouragement had been of immense help. He delivered an interesting talk about the book, its genesis and why he wrote it in the manner he did. From his speech we knew this was a work of passion and the rapt attention of the audience showed their appreciation for the labour.
After the speeches were over few left the hall, they waited for the author to sign their books, to congratulate Ed and Larry and to share with neighbours excerpts that particularly touched them from their brief rummage through this exceptional book. Congratulations Ed. It is a fantastic work and we are all very proud of you. Now, take a week off before writing the Tipperary volume!

Extract from In Terrible Discordance
Great Public Dinner to Mr. Sergeant Murphy
… Nothing appeared to be left undone by the committee of management, nor indeed by the spirited purveyor, Mr. McDowell; for beyond all comparison, a more abundant or splendidly served up public dinner never before took place in Cork; and as proof of this, it might be right to mention that all parties were loud in their commendation of its excellence and comfort …The viands were of the most excellent description, including soups, fish, and an immense variety of dishes of more substantial fare, such as venison, beeves, and fowls in profusion; whilst the wines were of the choicest vintage, consisting of champagne, claret, moselle, port, sherry, etc., which flowed abundantly throughout the evening; and in addition to which, a sumptuous dessert of richly flavoured fruits and confectionery crowned the festive board. The entire thing was such as the Imperial Hotel, under the excellent management of Mr. McDowell, alone could accomplish….
(C.E., 18 Sept. 1846)

Extract
Antient Concerts
In spite of the rain and storm, the charms of Haydn’s glorious oratorio ‘The Creation’, crowded the ball-room of the Imperial – rather both rooms, for the supper room was equally full – to inconvenience, with one of the largest and most fashionable assemblages ever witnessed in Cork. There could not have been less, in all, than 600.
(C.E., 5 Jan. 1848)