Donogh O'Connor is an Irish singer making good in London who, at a banquet, expresses the desire to return to the little village, Ballyvoraine, where he was born. Two of his friends, owning an airplane, gratify his desire by kidnapping him and depositing him on a moor near his birthplace. Thus, begins the adventure of the middle-aged Irish gentleman with his London-acquired manners and his full-dress suit contrasting with the humble clothes of the villagers. He forms a friendship with a pretty, young colleen, Moira Flaherty, and aids her in reforming her sweetheart, Sean Casey, who has joined a gang illegally distilling whiskey. The gang is led by an American gangster, Mike Finnegan, who has also returned to his boyhood home. The two old-sod homeboys vie for control of the hearts and minds of the villagers, with O'Connor having the distinct advantage of being able to sing the old Irish ballads.