 The whole village mourns when General O Leary (A.E. Matthews), owner of a hunting estate in South Ireland, is killed in an accident. His nephew, Jasper O Leary (David Niven), takes over the state and soon has aroused the displeasure of all, with the exception of Serena McGluskey (Yvonne De Carlo), as much a schemer as he is a cad. Led by Thady O Heggarty (Barry Fitzgerald), the villagers plot to drive Jasper away. They use the occassion of "O Leary Night", when the ghost of the first O Leary walks the halls, to create general chaos.