Orphaned and alone, 13-year-old Blackie O'Neill must leave County Kerry to find work and put food in his mouth. His only chance of survival lies with his mother's brother, far away in Leeds.

There, amid the noise and bustle, the mills and manufactories of the clothing industry that have made Leeds one of England's most prosperous cities, Blackie's spark of ambition becomes a flame. Working in his Uncle's business, he nurtures a dream of throwing off the impotence of poverty ...