On a dark autumn night on the northwest coast of Ireland, a small village is ignited with intrigue when a mysterious young stranger named Christy Mahon arrives at the local pub with a terrible secret. Frightened, exhausted, and running from the law, Christy beseeches the village's help after claiming to have killed his father with a murderous blow to the older man's skull. But rather than reviling him, the village lionizes Christy as a daring fellow and women begin to scramble for his attention. As admiration for Christy grows, so does the exaggeration of his tale of patricide. Until, of course, Christy's father arrives on the scene.