Dublin, 1830: When his da breaks his arm, Hugh 'Scholar' O'Dare has to leave school to work as a chimney sweeper with his brothers. When a travelling sweep's apprentice starts going after their jobs, Scholar is tasked with scaring him off, but a shocking secret comes to light. Who will they turn to, and how will the secret change their futures?
When Ma dies, Nancy is determined to keep her family together in their Dublin tenement and not in the industrial schools where the Cruelty Men believe they should be. Will she succeed?
Will Colm stay in Ireland and join the Volunteers or will he fulfil his dream of working as a musician in America? A long-held family secret comes to light, rocks Colm's world and shows him the way to go.