It is a cold December night and Sylvie Dugdale is weeping as she walks by the Mersey. She fails to notice an approaching figure and jumping to one side to avoid collision, she finds herself struggling in the ice-cold river. Constable Brendan O'Hara, just coming off duty, sees the girl's plight and dives in to rescue her. He is dazzled by her beauty but discovers that Sylvie's husband is in prison and the closeness that Brendan soon longs for is impossible. But he is able to help her escape from Liverpool, arranging for her to stay with his cousin Caitlin in Dublin. There she meets Maeve, a crippled girl from the slums, who will change all their lives…