A young, irish nationalist woman, Bridie Quilty, wants to fulfill her lifelong dream of joining the IRA on her 21st birthday. In trying so she is pulled into a spy conspiracy of the german nationalsocialists, including helping a german spy break out of a british prison. The breakout fails and her customer and the spy are both being shot. Deadly wounded, her customer is able to return to her to give her instructions on getting a secret notebook. On her way of getting it, she meets David, who trails her; as does another german spy, who then captures the two of them, but they are able to flee multiple times from them, finally escaping from northern Ireland to their home, where they marry.