Set against the backdrop of the Irish War of Independence, the play unfolds in a tenement in Dublin, where a poet with a penchant for embellishment allows his neighbors to believe he is an IRA gunman. This false reputation attracts admiration and a romantic interest, but also brings dangerous consequences when real IRA activity leads to a tragic case of mistaken identity. The protagonist's cowardice and the harsh realities of war are laid bare, as the community's romantic notions of rebellion clash with the grim truth of violence and its repercussions.

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