Father Eion O’Donnell firmly believes that violence is necessary to expel Britain from Ireland. He persuades a young, impressionable boy named Antaine to join the fight in the 1916 Rising. Half a century later, Antaine, now a seasoned gunman, arrives in Derry. His presence forces Eoin to confront the reasons behind his mental collapse in 1916. The impact Eoin had on young Antaine is mirrored in Antaine’s troubling influence on an altar boy named Feidhlim.