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Enough Is Plenty: The Year On The Dingle Peninsula
Enough Is Plenty - The Year On The Dingle Peninsula views the year from a place where a vibrant 21st-century lifestyle is still marked by Ireland's Celtic past. An emigrant to England in the 1970s, Felicity Hayes-McCoy knew she'd return to Corca Dhuibhne, Ireland's Dingle peninsula, a place she had fallen in love with at seventeen. Now she and her husband have restored a stone house there, the focus for this chronicle in response to reader requests for a sequel to her memoir, The House on an Irish Hillside.
Enough Is Plenty - The Year On The Dingle Peninsula celebrates the seasonal rhythms in and around the author's house and garden at the western end of Ireland's Dingle Peninsula. It is about ordinary small pleasures, such as the smell of freshly baked soda bread, that can easily go unnoticed, and offers recipes from Felicity's kitchen and information on organic food production and gardening.
Enough Is Plenty - The Year On The Dingle Peninsula celebrates the seasonal rhythms in and around the author's house and garden at the western end of Ireland's Dingle Peninsula. It is about ordinary small pleasures, such as the smell of freshly baked soda bread, that can easily go unnoticed, and offers recipes from Felicity's kitchen and information on organic food production and gardening.
- GenresIrelandMemoirNonfiction
160 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 2015
About the author
Felicity Hayes-McCoy
35 books549 followersUSA Today bestselling Irish writer Felicity Hayes-McCoy is the author of the 'Finfarran' novels, set in a fictional county on Ireland's West Coast. Marian Keyes calls her writing "a pitch-perfect delight", Cathy Kelly, bestselling author of "Between Sisters" and "Secrets of a Happy Marriage", has described the Finfarran books as "a delicious feast", and "sunshine on the page", while Jenny Colgan, bestselling author of "The Cafe by the Sea", calls them "charming and heartwarming".
Felicity's latest book, a standalone novel, The Keepsake Quilters (Hachette Irl), was published in October 2022 to critical acclaim. Best-selling Irish authors Roisin Meaney and Carmel Harringon called it "the perfect festive read" and "warm and wise ... an absolute joy"; Claudia Carroll and Patricia Scanlan wrote of it as "warm, funny and full of heart" and "a fascinating, beautifully-written generational saga"; and television presenters Barbara Scully and Mary Kennedy have described it as "a gorgeous novel" and "a beautifully-crafted story."
Finfarran #1, The Library at the Edge of The World, was published in June 2016: The Sunday Times called it "engaging, sparkling and joyous" and The Sunday Independent wrote "If you like reading a feelgood novel, take a journey to the edge of the world. An easy, pleasant summer read for fans of Maeve Binchy".
Summer at The Garden Café, the second in the Finfarran series, came out in the UK & Irl May 2017, The Mistletoe Matchmaker, a warm, empowering Christmas story, in October 2017, and The Month of Borrowed Dreams, in June 2018: The Irish Independent's review called it "a heartwarming novel which will leave you longing to read the earlier ones". The best-selling author Marian Keyes said she was "utterly charmed" by Finfarran #5, The Transatlantic Book Club, which was published in 2019.
A US & Canadian edition of The Library at the Edge of The World, published by Harper Perennial in Nov 2017, was chosen as a LibraryReads Pick. The US & Canadian edition of Summer at The Garden Café was published in 2018, The Mistletoe Matchmaker followed in 2019, The Transatlantic Book Club in 2020, The Month of Borrowed Dreams in 2021, and The Heart of Summer in 2022.
Finfarran #7, The Year of Lost and Found, was published by Hachette Irl in May 2021, and praised as "the perfect, page-turning escape" and "the best book of the year so far for me" by best-selling Irish authors Sinéad Moriarty and Claudia Carroll. It was preceded in 2020 by Finfarran #6, The Heart of Summer, of which Ireland's Sunday Business Post reviewer wrote "This works perfectly well as a standalone novel ... her writing sings", and bestselling author Patricia Scanlan commented "Fans of Maeve Binchy will adore it - she just gets better and better!"
The Finfarran novels have been translated into seven languages and can also be purchased in English as ebooks and audiobooks.
Described as 'wise, funny' and 'blazingly beautiful' by actress and writer Joanna Lumley, Felicity's first memoir, The House on an Irish Hillside was published by Hodder & Stoughton in 2012. It takes the author to London, where she worked as an actress and met her English, opera-director husband, and back to Ireland, to a remarkable stone house on the Dingle peninsula.
Enough Is Plenty: The Year on the Dingle Peninsula, a sequel to The House on an Irish Hillside, was published by The Collins Press in 2015. Illustrated with photographs by Felicity and her husband, and with a foreword by the best-selling Irish writer Alice Taylor, it charts the cycle of the Celtic year in Felicity's own house and garden.
A second memoir, A Woven Silence: Memory, History & Remembrance, described by The Sunday Times as 'a powerful piece of personal and political history', was published in September 2015, also by The Collins Press. Inspired by the lost story of her grandmother's cousin Marion Stokes, one of three women who raised the tricolour over Enniscorthy town in Wexford dur
Felicity's latest book, a standalone novel, The Keepsake Quilters (Hachette Irl), was published in October 2022 to critical acclaim. Best-selling Irish authors Roisin Meaney and Carmel Harringon called it "the perfect festive read" and "warm and wise ... an absolute joy"; Claudia Carroll and Patricia Scanlan wrote of it as "warm, funny and full of heart" and "a fascinating, beautifully-written generational saga"; and television presenters Barbara Scully and Mary Kennedy have described it as "a gorgeous novel" and "a beautifully-crafted story."
Finfarran #1, The Library at the Edge of The World, was published in June 2016: The Sunday Times called it "engaging, sparkling and joyous" and The Sunday Independent wrote "If you like reading a feelgood novel, take a journey to the edge of the world. An easy, pleasant summer read for fans of Maeve Binchy".
Summer at The Garden Café, the second in the Finfarran series, came out in the UK & Irl May 2017, The Mistletoe Matchmaker, a warm, empowering Christmas story, in October 2017, and The Month of Borrowed Dreams, in June 2018: The Irish Independent's review called it "a heartwarming novel which will leave you longing to read the earlier ones". The best-selling author Marian Keyes said she was "utterly charmed" by Finfarran #5, The Transatlantic Book Club, which was published in 2019.
A US & Canadian edition of The Library at the Edge of The World, published by Harper Perennial in Nov 2017, was chosen as a LibraryReads Pick. The US & Canadian edition of Summer at The Garden Café was published in 2018, The Mistletoe Matchmaker followed in 2019, The Transatlantic Book Club in 2020, The Month of Borrowed Dreams in 2021, and The Heart of Summer in 2022.
Finfarran #7, The Year of Lost and Found, was published by Hachette Irl in May 2021, and praised as "the perfect, page-turning escape" and "the best book of the year so far for me" by best-selling Irish authors Sinéad Moriarty and Claudia Carroll. It was preceded in 2020 by Finfarran #6, The Heart of Summer, of which Ireland's Sunday Business Post reviewer wrote "This works perfectly well as a standalone novel ... her writing sings", and bestselling author Patricia Scanlan commented "Fans of Maeve Binchy will adore it - she just gets better and better!"
The Finfarran novels have been translated into seven languages and can also be purchased in English as ebooks and audiobooks.
Described as 'wise, funny' and 'blazingly beautiful' by actress and writer Joanna Lumley, Felicity's first memoir, The House on an Irish Hillside was published by Hodder & Stoughton in 2012. It takes the author to London, where she worked as an actress and met her English, opera-director husband, and back to Ireland, to a remarkable stone house on the Dingle peninsula.
Enough Is Plenty: The Year on the Dingle Peninsula, a sequel to The House on an Irish Hillside, was published by The Collins Press in 2015. Illustrated with photographs by Felicity and her husband, and with a foreword by the best-selling Irish writer Alice Taylor, it charts the cycle of the Celtic year in Felicity's own house and garden.
A second memoir, A Woven Silence: Memory, History & Remembrance, described by The Sunday Times as 'a powerful piece of personal and political history', was published in September 2015, also by The Collins Press. Inspired by the lost story of her grandmother's cousin Marion Stokes, one of three women who raised the tricolour over Enniscorthy town in Wexford dur
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
October 30, 2016
This delightful book is like picking up someone's journal and reading it. It chronicles the year in a lovely cabin on the Dingle Peninsula using the Celtic calendar. The first month is November which is perfect.
There are tidbits about daily life, lovely photos, recipes and Celtic history. The Irish language and customs are strong in this area so this adds lovely information. This just a lovely, sweet read.
There are tidbits about daily life, lovely photos, recipes and Celtic history. The Irish language and customs are strong in this area so this adds lovely information. This just a lovely, sweet read.
April 21, 2015
This is a wonderful book. The author describes the old Celtic cycle of the year, starting in November /Samhain. She relates the seasons to the food, planting and activity throughout the year. There are recipies for foods I'd almost (but not entirely) forgotten such as Barm Brack, and wonderful photographs of around where she and her husband live on the south-westernmost tip of Ireland. A lovely gift for anyone interested in Ireland and Celtic traditions and/or aspiring to enjoy a less stressful life. I really enjoyed it.
April 21, 2015
I loved this book. I could almost imagine myself standing on the hillside or walking along the beaches. I really liked the photos and attention to detail, very vivid and delectable. The recipes look great and easy to make. I would heartily recommend this book to anyone who is interested in personal journeys or just taking a mental break in a beautiful place. It will make a wonderful present for birthdays or other special occasions. I hope there will be more to come from Ms. Hayes-McCoy!
September 16, 2015
Another excellent love letter to Ireland from a great author. I had the privilege of meeting her in Dingle on our recent trip to Ireland and had a great conversation with her about books, writing, and how this book was made. Whenever I need a virtual trip back to Ireland, this book is the ticket.
April 3, 2016
I loved this book. I bought it when we were in Ireland in the fall. I wish she would print her Christmas book which is now only available electronically. Great to finally finish reading it during laethanta na riabhaiche ...the Irish "borrowed days."
January 22, 2020
Enough is Plenty opens with words from Alice Taylor and a photo of a stunning mountain/seascape. The bar is set high for a complete infusion of the senses, into Ireland, its Irishness, its people, land, culture and stories.
Felicity Hayes-McCoy takes us to Dingle, Co. Kerry. Through captivating images and gently rolling words she introduces us to the area, its homegrown food, recipes passed down through generations, along with stories, folktales music & neighbourliness in Corca Dhuibne. It's a joy to read and it makes me want to visit this beautiful place, knock on the stone house door and say hello and thank you for opening my heart to Dingle. Felicity, Wilf and Jack - thank you for the heartwarming joy this book brings me.
Felicity Hayes-McCoy takes us to Dingle, Co. Kerry. Through captivating images and gently rolling words she introduces us to the area, its homegrown food, recipes passed down through generations, along with stories, folktales music & neighbourliness in Corca Dhuibne. It's a joy to read and it makes me want to visit this beautiful place, knock on the stone house door and say hello and thank you for opening my heart to Dingle. Felicity, Wilf and Jack - thank you for the heartwarming joy this book brings me.
April 14, 2020
Quotable:
In Ireland, the word ‘foosthering,’ which comes from the Irish verb fustar, means ‘rummaging around’ or ‘wasting time.’ To me, time spent foosthering is never wasted.
Awareness of the consequences of our actions is demanded of us because balance can’t be maintained effectively unless everyone’s individual behavior is recognized as part of the equation.
In Ireland, the word ‘foosthering,’ which comes from the Irish verb fustar, means ‘rummaging around’ or ‘wasting time.’ To me, time spent foosthering is never wasted.
Awareness of the consequences of our actions is demanded of us because balance can’t be maintained effectively unless everyone’s individual behavior is recognized as part of the equation.
February 5, 2025
This book was recommended as a read specific to the dingle peninsula that I was planning to visit. I had envisioned more of “A year in Provence.” type of story and this is not at all what this was. It was basically a book that went through a year and dingle and what to expect in each month. Some of the recipes are kind of fun though.
March 14, 2019
Gorgeous photographs make this book worth reading.
July 28, 2019
I enjoyed this memoir more than her fiction effort.
January 7, 2024
Absolutely loved this salute to Irish life and life in Ireland. The Dingle Peninsula is one of my favorite places on earth.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews