Elderly Francis Coyle recalls how in 1943 an American Air Force unit came to the Northern Irish village of Moybeg, where his mother Rose and father Michael kept the shop and bar. The locals are not welcoming to the incomers, especially when Francis's 16 year old sister rejects love-lorn Barney Quinn to go on a date with 20-year old pilot Frank Barnhill, who is beaten up by the villagers and saved only by Rose's intervention. A year later Frank is killed in action. Rose herself, as an Englishwoman, feels slightly isolated and is pleased when Captain Ronald Dreyfuss asks her to act as liaison between the locals and the servicemen. Written by don @ minifie-1

Francis and his friend Seamie go fishing with the disreputable Hanlon brothers - but it ends with an accusation of poaching and a court appearance. Rose, feeling distanced from Michael after she discovers that he has been dealing in black market tins of corned beef, grows friendlier with Dreyfuss and, inspired by a book he has given her, delivers a passionate speech at the poachers' trial, tipping the case for the defendants and making her a local heroine, though Michael feels she has made a show of herself. Emma continues to reject Barney, this time to throw herself at doctor's son Andrew Black. Written by don @ minifie-1

A theatrical company comes to perform at the village but at the same time Barney's little sister Maisie goes down with scarlet fever. With Dr Black over-worked Rose turns to Dreyfuss, who arranges for Tilly, a nurse from the base, to care for her and send her to hospital though certain bigoted villagers blame the Americans for bringing in the disease. When his sister Kate also succumbs to the fever Francis believes it is because he has stolen discarded tins of paint from the base and hidden them at home but Dr Black traces the source to the theatrical group. Having argued with Michael over his selling black market goods Rose reunites with him as they anxiously await the outcome of Kate's illness. Written by don @ minifie-1

Rose's widowed sister, the brassy Vera, arrives from England to stay, much to the Coyne children's delight but Michael is wary and rightly so -as Vera encourages Emma's romance with Andrew and also gets drunk whilst working at his bar. Attracted to Dreyfuss she asks him to lunch with the family after Rose has told her she finds him intellectually stimulating. Rose also ends up kissing him though, unaware of this, Vera returns to London. Written by don @ minifie-1

As the Americans invite the village children to a Christmas party at the base Michael learns that he may lose the pub to his hated cousin Vincent, to pay off debts. Come the night of the party Rose has to mediate when the warring parents of Francis's friend Seamie fall out as well as digesting the reason for Dreyfuss recently avoiding her - a home leave for personal reasons he cannot divulge, regarding his marital status. Returning home from the party Rose learns the truth from Michael about the pub's future, leading her to make a controversial decision. Written by don @ minifie-1