Themes about the brutality of war and varying ideals of freedom and nationality are explored in this story following a family through the Irish War of Independence until the start of the Irish Civil War. The matriarch tries to hold her family together, but tensions rise and bonds are tested and frayed as her children take different sides in the conflict. Episodes follow different characters so that when their plotlines converge, dramatic irony is present in many scenes and the audience can hear the clear subtext present in their interactions. Other themes explored include gender roles, parenthood, grief, and guilt.