In 1914, Kevin Flynn had hardly given the war a thought; everyone said it would be over by Christmas. Instead, desperate to impress a girl called Mary, Flynn and his friends, like thousands of fellow Irishmen eager not to miss the adventure of a lifetime, and keen to help set their country free, they begin a journey that leads inexorably to suffering beyond imagination. Confronted by the harsh realities of war and rising hostility at home, Flynn finds his courage, loyalty and love tested to the limit making him question whether it was worth becoming a lamb to the slaughter.