In an old, apparently abandoned house in a rural Ireland, author Tom Connolly lives with his alcoholic wife, Daisy. This house hosts David, an emissary from a University of Texas, who studies Tom's archive to explore the possibilities of selling everything to the University Library. The couple's daughter, Bridget, is mentally ill and resides for years in an institution. Their life difficulties are compounded by financial difficulties. In anticipation of David's final verdict, which will determine both the literary value of Tom's work and the potential for economic development, home come home to Daisy's mother, a retired doctor suffering from her arthritis, and her father, a kleptomaniac, a former bar pianist. Joining them are their family friend, Garrett, a longtime commercially successful author, and his wife, Greene.