 A man (John Hurt) released from jail, where he had served time for doctoring the books of a gangster (Lorcan Cranitch), has to go into hiding from the gangster s men. He moves into a Dublin boarding house run by a woman (Pauline Flanagan) and her timid daughter (Brenda Blethyn). The timid woman immediately takes a shine to the new boarder and to his train sets, which they each use as an escape from reality. However, her mother doesn t like their relationship and they both are chased by the gangsters.