A German U-Boat arrives at a remote fishing village on the west coast of Ireland. The crew are desperate to repair their boat and return home to Germany before the War ends. They take over the village causing fear and anger amongst the inhabitants. The German captain is taken ill and is looked after by one of the families and an old retired doctor.
As the days pass, work is carried out on the submarine and the captain slowly recovers. Eilish, the daughter of the family and captain Klutz become close as she nurses him back to fitness.
Meanwhile, an Irishman called Macohan becomes aware of the U-Boat's presence and has plans for the submarine. One of the few IRA activists not locked up in the Curragh Prison Camp for the duration of the hostilities he sets about putting together a band of mercenaries intent on commandeering the U-boat, masquerading as British soldiers from Ulster.
Macohan has a contact at the German Legation in Dublin who is in touch with two Generals in great need of escape from war torn Europe, and have the wherewithal to pay a large sum for what he can offer.
Macohan also has previous history with the family looking after the German, and has a score to settle.
Being a neutral country, Ireland was not involved in the hostilities, but they suffered shortages and rationing much like Britain and in some ways worse. Now that War had arrived in their midst, and their lives would never be the same again?