In the heart of Dublin during the tumultuous Easter Rising of 1916, two young boys, Sam and Christy, grow up under the care of their widowed mother and aunt. As they navigate their way through troubled times, the brothers find themselves drawn to the cause of Irish freedom, joining the Volunteers in their fight for independence. Immersed in the savage Irish War of Independence, Christy serves in the Dublin Brigade while Sam becomes a member of the ASU and later joins the legendary ‘Squad’ under Michael Collins. Against the backdrop of 1920s Dublin, Sam finds love when he meets Kate, only to be captured and locked away in Kilmainham as his first child is born, released only when the Truce is signed. The brothers, united in their commitment, follow Michael Collins into the National Army, only to face the tragedy of the Irish Civil War, a horror that still haunts Irish society to this day. Upon their discharge from the Army in 1924, Sam, now a family man, and Christy seize the opportunity to reclaim their lost youth on the football fields of Dublin, Ireland, and Europe, where they excel as part of the famous Bohemian FC team of 1927/28, ultimately reaching the pinnacle of international football for the Irish Free State.