
Niamh's wedding plans are disrupted when a stone statue falls off the church and through her fiancee's car. As he had only just got out of the car he takes it as a sign that he should become a priest. Peter tries to talk him out of it, but Ambrose calls off the engagement. Niamh has other problems to deal with, as she becomes disgusted at the idea of her father meeting up with an ex-girlfriend. Local Hill farmer, Eamonn, attempts to provide evidence of his elusive sheep to the European Union, in order to get his subsidy, by constructing wooden sheep. Niamh decides she wants her wedding reception to go ahead, even if she's not having the wedding. 'Hardly a Wedding reception' results in large sales of stout which Assumpta was given without charge, and after a little intervention by Peter, Ambrose gatecrashes the party and Proposes to Niamh.
Father Peter Clifford's journey from England ends in his new parish, the small Irish town of Ballykissangel. It's a change from his previous job in the centre of Manchester, but this rural Irish community is hardly the sleepy village he expected. The local bar owner, Assumpta Fitzgerald, seems to have a serious attitude towards the clergy, and is very surprised to discover that the man she offers a lift to is the new parish curate. Niamh wants to know what her boyfriend, the local Garda, will be like to live with when they get married. She is determined to have the two of them live together beforehand, but he does not want to commit a ""mortal sin"". Both seek advice from the new priest. As Father Clifford arrives, a new modern confessional is being delivered. Niamh's father, Brian Quigley, who seems to think that a fax-equipped confessional will be a great addition to the church, has donated it.