'It's never really been about the books': Duntahane Wives Book Club reads 100th title

In Fermoy, a small but mighty group of women have been quietly gathering, once a month(ish), for the past 13 years.

The occasion? Not just books -though we’re officially called the Duntahane Wives Book Club - but to enable to share chapters of their own lives with each other.

These literary ladies have just marked a significant milestone: their 100th book.

That’s 100 titles, dozens of heated discussions over character motivations, hundreds of glasses of wine (and the occasional water, prosecco, zeros, kombucha, mojitos) and thousands of shared conversations.

The longevity of the club, named after Duntahane, an area outside Fermoy, is a testament to our endurance as a group of friends who began as mammies exchanging smiles and small talk at the school gates, and grew into something much, much more.

The Beginnings: Wine, Words, and School-Gate Friendships

It all started with a casual idea, one of those throwaway things that snowballs into something life-altering.

“What about a book club?” someone mused, possibly while juggling a schoolbag, an uneaten packed lunch, and a toddler’s meltdown.

Fast-forward 13 years, and here we are - a collective of witty, sharp, and occasionally tipsy women with a shared love of words, camaraderie, and, of course, the cheese board and strawberries dipped in chocolate.

The group’s early years coincided with the chaos of primary school -late-night scrabbling for lunch box fillers, frazzled Friday nights on deck at the swim club sessions, and December’s endurance of Seó na Nollaig practise and performances.

There was comfort in the predictability of it all: school runs, jobs and domesticity by day, book club in one gal’s house, every four, five or six weeks - depending on getting our calendars to line up.

It was our moment to let our hair down (or, more accurately, wrestle it into submission after another chaotic week), and swap stories over a glass of vino.

Life’s Chapters: Birthdays, Deaths, and Everything in Between

As the years ed, the books changed, but so too did the lives of the women around the table. There have been the minor dramas of diets gone wrong and questionable decisions. There have been major milestones - big birthdays, family weddings, and the dreaded Leaving Cert exams.

We’ve celebrated births and mourned losses. We’ve been there for divorce, illnesses, and the sort of existential crises that only teenagers can bring into a household.

And, more recently, the club has found itself delving into the uncharted waters of menopause, a topic that has produced as much laughter as it has complaints about the temperature of the room.

The Books: From Inspiring to Torturous

Of course, there’s also the small matter of the books themselves.

Over 13 years, the Duntahane Wives Book Club has run the gamut from utterly inspiring to the absolutely torturous.

There were the books that left us bamboozled, like J (Howard Jacobson) and City Of Bohane (Kevin Barry).

We wept through the amazing dramas in Beneath A Scarlet Sky (Mark T. Sullivan) and Cutting For Stone (Abraham Verghese).

A few reads had us on the edge of our seats: Strange Sally Diamond (Liz Nugent), Behind Closed Doors (B. A. Paris) and the terrifying The Nothing Man (Catherine Ryan Howard).

It’s where most of us got hooked on the late Lucinda Riley’s Seven Sisters series.

We revelled in the quirky Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine (Gail Honeyman), The Truth About The Harry Quebert Affair (Joel Dicker) and The Universe Versus Alex Woods (Gavin Extence).

We were challenged with tomes such as Wolf Hall (Hillary Mantel), All The President’s Men (Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein) and Milkman (Ann Burns) and absolutely loved The Night Circus (Erin Morgenstern) and Lessons In Chemistry (Bonnie Garmus)

There have been thrillers that kept us up all night, romances that made us roll our eyes, and books that, to be honest, probably never made it past chapter two for some.

But here’s the thing: even the worst book has served its purpose. If nothing else, it’s been a reason to gather, to connect, and to laugh.

Wine, Tea, and the Vera Wang Factor

Drinks, of course, are a critical component of the Duntahane Wives’ gatherings.

Wine has been the unofficial mascot of the club since day one, but tea and sparkling water have also had their moment in the spotlight. And then there’s the bottles of bubbles.

For birthdays, anniversaries, and, well, book club, the bubbles come out - served in one house, in Vera Wang glasses. Why Vera Wang? - they were a collective birthday pressie and they have become part of the tradition, an elegant nod to the fact that this isn’t just a book club; it’s an event.

What It’s Really About

But here’s the truth about the Duntahane Wives Book Club: it’s never really been about the books.

Sure, the reading list has added structure and a veneer of literary merit, but what it’s really about is, connection. It’s about having a space to chat, laugh, cry, vent, and celebrate. It’s about showing up for each other, time after time, through thick and thin.

In a world that often feels chaotic and overwhelming, the book club is a constant - a reliable reminder that, no matter what life throws at the , they are not facing it alone.

A Toast to the Next Chapter

As we celebrate our 13 years and our 100th book, the Duntahane Wives are ready for what lies ahead.

The reading list for 2025 is unknown yet - the hosting ‘wife’ always does a surprise reveal - but whatever the books, the real magic will remain in the moments between the pages - the laughs, the heartfelt advice, and the showing up for each other.

Here’s to many more years of reading, drinking, nibbling, and navigating life together, one chapter at a time.

So, to the Duntahane Wives Book Club: congratulations, ladies. May your books be better, your bubbles be plentiful, and your laughter be endless.