Long before Dr. Fingal Flahertie OReilly came to the colourful Irish village of Ballybucklebo, young Surgeon-lieutenant OReilly answered the call of duty to serve in World War II. Fingal just wants to marry his beloved Deirdre and live happily ever after. First he must hone his skills at a British naval hospital before reporting back to the HMS Warspite, where, as a ships doctor, he faces danger upon the high seas. With German bombers a constant threat, the future has never been more uncertain, but Fingal and Deirdre are determined to make a life together . . . no matter what may lie ahead.Decades later, the war is long over, and OReilly is content to mend the bodies and souls of his patients in Ballybucklebo, but there are still changes and challenges aplenty.