On the day of the Pope's 1979 visit to Dublin, Reena meets an aspiring rock musician Jessop and, with drummer Petie and bass player Joe, they form the Dead Patriots. After establishing a name for themselves locally, interpersonal affairs begin to strain the relationships. Petie is secretly having an affair with a solo performer Billy while Jessop is suspicious of Reena because she is contemplating a record deal and a move to London. Finally Jessop explodes under the stress and outs Petie while onstage, creating a rift between himself and Reena that takes ten years to heal.