In 1900s Ireland, a fiercely independent woman rallies against traditional expectations.

May Mullen is a ‘good cattle woman’, who assists her father James on the farm and at the mart in Midlands Ireland of the early 20th century. She swears and drinks like a man but is also responsible for running her father’s house. Her only friends are Elisabeth, the local Protestant school mistress and her

little dog Pablo.

May’s independent life is frowned upon by her brother Jim, her brother’s intended Kate, and by her father. They want her to settle down and marry a local man, but she is reluctant to be like her mother was. Even Elisabeth has an ulterior motive. She wants May to marry her own brother Theo; a horse dealer.

When family deaths and the birth of a child cause great upheaval, May has to fight her corner and strive

to hold onto the fierce brilliant feeling of being herself.