The town catches lottery fever after it is announced that the winner bought the Lotto ticket in Kathleen's shop. The win is worth £6 million. Nobody knows who it is and the normally calm community begin to suspect each other. Ambrose's latest mission is an undercover job in Cildargan. It's a dangerous task and Niamh's worries are entirely justified. Peter is visiting his dying mother in Manchester and Father Mac's superiors are desperate for him to find the lottery winner so that the church can benefit from the win, a suggestion which appals him. In fact, the whole town has become engulfed in greed and jealousy. It is finally revealed that the winner was a tourist. Siobhan and Brendan begin to come to terms with their new relationship.

Peter says a final goodbye to Assumpta and takes off on a long walk. Ambrose eventually finds him at the statue of the Blessed Virgin where he and Assumpta once met and talked. Ambrose is angry that Peter seems to think that he is the only one who is grieving. He went to school with her, and every person in BallyK had something to do with her upbringing. He takes Peter home where Father Mac, who wants to know whether Peter will be staying with the Church, confronts him. It's not something Peter wants to think about. A journalist is trying to dig up some dirt about Assumpta, but is blocked at every turn by her friends. Peter organises a wake on the hillside, and the next day he conducts Kieran's christening. Afterwards, he leaves the town without saying goodbye to anyone but Brendan. He takes one look back at the village and leaves in much the same way that he arrived.

News spreads that Father Vincent will be organizing the annual parish fete, so Liam and Donal set about arranging the 'Cow-in-the-Field' competition, and a battle ensues in the jam-making competition. Meanwhile, Avril's stables are in financial difficulties, and a trip to the doctor brings some worrying news for Siobhan.

Angel FM, a pirate radio station in the village, keeps Ambrose busy, while Father Peter is told he must get his own transport or lose his job. Assumpta gives him driving lessons which prove to be a little more dangerous than she anticipated. Whilst on a hospital visit, Peter meets a former judge, Michael Bradley, who has a low opinion of the church. Peter befriends him but is shocked when Mr Bradley tells him that he helped his wife to die. The young priest turns to Father Mac for advice, but during the conversation it emerges that the driving test that he is about to take will be fixed. Peter takes the test as Mr Clifford, rather than Father Peter, and passes. He triumphantly returns to the town only to be told that Michael Bradley has died. When he returns to the hospital, he is given a set of keys to a sleek vintage car that Bradley has left to him.

Father Peter is told that he must return to England, but the BallyK community is determined to put a stop to that idea In the meantime, Brian is working overtime on a range of gimmicks designed to attract visitors to BallyK. The plan, which is causing most concern to Siobhan, is the idea of putting a live sheep at the top of some scaffolding - which Brian plans to crown in a ceremony. Siobhan makes a rescue attempt, which Peter and Assumpta inevitably get involved in. Plans for Niamh's and Ambrose's wedding are overshadowed by Brian's other venture - a three-day licence for a makeshift pub which is taking most of Assumpta's business.

It is the day before Niamh and Sean's Wedding and the men of the village are desperate for him to have a stag night. Sean isn't too excited about the prospect of a night around the bar in Fitzgerald's, so Uncle Minto suggest a Celtic ceremony instead. Sean agrees, and while Minto begins to consecrate the land for the celebration, Liam and Donal are plotting how they can turn this into a more conventional stag night involving alcohol. Meanwhile, the women are going on a pub crawl. When Sean arrives in the woods, and sees the party split, he insists that the men unite. Most of the men try Minto's potion and begin to notice strange things happening. Brendan is cured of a toothache, while Danny keeps seeing Rabbits! Later, Brian learns from Sean of the plans to move away from Ballykissangel. In Cilldargen, the woman, even Kathleen, are getting thoroughly inebriated. Siobhan is run off the road by a rogue driver. Frankie is called to investigate and asks Aidan to assist.

A young woman arrives in BallyK hoping to find news of her family. Kathleen and Father Mac are particularly uncomfortable around her and Padraig thinks he might be the girl's father, but his suspicions are unfounded. Parenthood is also an issue for Siobhan who finds out she is pregnant. Brendan is the father, but she won't tell him until she's worked out what she's going to do. After much contemplation she decides to keep the baby and tells Brendan. Assumpta's and Leo's marriage continues to flounder: Leo feels isolated in BallyK. Any glamour he may have envisaged in running a pub has long since disappeared and Assumpta is keeping him at arms length. She feels they missed their chance the first time around, but Leo remains adamant - he's only ever loved her. He leaves town having told Peter that trying to make his marriage work is a waste of time because Assumpta's still interested in someone else.

Niamh's and Ambrose's relationship is disintegrating and he takes it out on everyone else by applying the letter of the law. He doesn't know where to start to repair his marriage, and things are made more difficult when Niamh confesses her problems to Sean. Kathleen receives a valuable package from a former boyfriend, and Aidan sets them up with as reunion. They had agreed that he would go to England, and then come back when he had enough money for them to get married. She lent him money but never heard from him again. That's the reason she never married. Donal is appointed as Liam's boss when he suggests a moneymaking scheme to Brian - retrieving golf balls out of the lake on the course, and reselling them. They manage to pull all kinds of things out of the lake, including a section of a Russian satellite, but have trouble finding what they are actually looking for. While Niamh is in Dublin, Kieran makes a nuisance of himself with whoever is looking after him. Siobhan can't cope with

The sudden loss in Ballykissangel has left everyone in tears, particularly Niamh who must deal with the new changes in her life. In the meantime, Orla moves into a new cottage hoping for some freedom.

The Headmaster's post is soon to be vacant and Brendan is in line for the job. He withdraws his name from the list of candidates when he sees a Christian Brother is one of the candidates, and with father Mac on the Board Brendan thinks the Brother has the job in the bag. When Sean points out that the Brother will be his boss, Brendan decides that he must go for the job, After a certain amount of swatting and worrying, he is successful. Paul is causing Oonagh problems: He decides to ""recycle"" the slops from the bar, takes in a paying guest for the night, even though there is no accommodation, and forces Orla to resign - briefly. Emma helps Danny's pig to give birth, and has to put up with Danny's mother hen act in the process.

Donal and Liam are after Paul to repay the money he borrowed, and the only way Paul can get the money is to sell the priest's house. Also, Oonagh is fed-up with receiving junk mail addressed to Assumpta, and decides to chnage the name of the pub. Meanwhile, when Avril's husband turns up in BallyK, she doesn't know how to handle the situation, and Vincent fights to provide some support.

A faith healer, Conseula Dunphy, comes to the area: Father Mac is worried, Michael Ryan is contemptuous, and Vincent has an open mind. Vincent's life is complicated, however, with the arrival of an old friend and his girlfriend who want him to marry them - but there are complications. Meanwhile, Liam thinks that he and Donal should invest the money they had from Brian in the syndicate which owns Avril's horse, The Cat. And then there's the large stone in the field that Paul's leasing.....

Father Mac is outraged when he learns that Vincent has married Barry and Lyn, and to make matters worse the Bishop has found out as well. Also, the bank has foreclosed on the priest's house, so Vincent is forced to find a place to sleep in various places. Meanwhile, Louis's dog is unwell, and when Siobhan seeks to find out why she finds some strange plants on the mountain, which attracts the interest of both Doc Ryan and Frankie. And then there's Liam, the cool dude....!

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.

Every village has a busybody, and Kathleen is best places in BallyK. As the owner of the grocery shop she keeps track of everybody's business. Her cousin Nora Harrigan takes a job as Brian's housekeeper, which immediately upsets Niamh. Brian is well aware that Nora finds him attractive. Niamh is still getting over the loss of her baby, but everyone seems to forget that it was also Ambrose's child. Brendan's new pupils prove to be the perfect distraction for Niamh as she controls the disruptive crowd as only she can. Brian's life is now entirely organised by Nora and he's starting to feel hen-pecked. He discovers that Nora's previous two husbands died and is worried that she wants him to be number three. She mistakenly makes a move on Father Mac in the sauna and he tells Brian to get rid of her.

Brian is organising a beauty contest as part of the village festival, to find the new model for a bottled water company. Every entrant has to be local. Eamonn stuns the town by introducing his niece, Naomi. She's from Dublin and finds the rural life dull. After a bit of detective work by Siobhan it transpires that Naomi is the daughter of a shipping firm owner. Brian wanted the contract so in order to get her into the contract he brought her in as Eamonn's BallyK-born niece. Her father is not impressed when a local girl wins the contest. Ambrose unexpectedly befriends the school's worst troublemaker and persuades him to do an act at the festival. After an argument with Brian Siobhan is comforted by Brendan. When he wakes up in her bed the next morning he is worried what she will want out of the relationship.

Kathleen's house goes up in flames and as she has no insurance the villagers start a collection, although Peter is hard pressed to find any money, given Father Mac's constant demands on his income. When the collection falls a long way short Siobhan suggests betting on a dog race to boost the total. Brian is told about a scam at the race by an old acquaintance. The amount of money he stands to win is irresistible. Peter receives some information during confession, and the money is placed on the wrong dog. Brian has also been tricked. The villager's last resort is a poker tournament. It's a big gamble, but the only way to get the money back. Brian's adversary, Mossy Phelan, plays in the tournament and Siobhan represents the village and after a long night only Siobhan and Mossy are left and Brian saves the day by throwing in a cheque allowing Siobhan to win. Kathleen returns to her restored house, but despite the huge efforts by the village she remains convinced that Father Mac paid for i

Brian's latest business venture to attract Korean investors involves bulldozing a local beauty spot. It's not something the locals are going to allow without a fight and they stage a protest on the site. Peter initially refuses to take sides in the protest, but Assumpta accuses him of sitting on the fence. He eventually realises that she is right - not only about Brian's plans but also about hiding his feelings. Assumpta and Peter are left alone on the site one night, and it leads to Peter finally hinting at his feelings for her. But later, he tells her he's still a priest - he's going on retreat and Assumpta makes a major decision. Donal and his girlfriend, Sue Ellen, inspire a romantic streak in Eamonn, who sets his sights on Kathleen. She's not an easy target, but he's groomed and rehearsed by Sue Ellen before he goes to talk to her. Niamh persuades her father to leave the beauty spot alone.

With Assumpta on a break in London, Niamh is left to look after the pub, but the new baby is taking it's toll her and she agrees to let Ambrose's mother Imelda help her. Brian is still trying to bring Korean business to BallyK, but it involves the assistance of the whole community, which could be a problem. Brendan is concerned that the children will be exploited. The Koreans are impressed, but despite his best efforts Brian loses the deal. All his finances were tied up in the deal and he now faces bankruptcy. Despite the collapse of the deal, the 1950s party in Padraig's ballroom is a great success.

Assumpta's marriage isn't going well. Leo is finding it difficult settling in and an article written he is writing confirms Assumpta's suspicions. Peter can see there are problems but manages to keep out of it, although Leo knows there is more to Assumpta's relationship with the priest than meets the eye. Peter blames himself when Father Mac has a heart attack, and he makes up for it by helping to keep the condition a secret from the parishioners. Assumpta starts a women's group because she feels that the women in the area aren't assertive enough. Kathleen takes particular offence, but Niamh seems to have got the hang of assertiveness without too much help. She offers to lend her father money to help him out of his financial problems, but there are strings attached.

Assumpta returns from talking to Leo in Dublin and is upset to discover that Peter's mother is dying and he is visiting her in England. Brian finally has some money and starts up his new business - paint balling weekends designed to motivate businessmen. The teams end up rampaging all over the village and one ends up being shot by Eamonn for trespassing on his land. Siobhan and Brendan's news finally becomes public when she can't treat Eamonn's sheep because it's a risk to the baby. Peter's mother has died and Dr Ryan asks Assumpta to 'phone him.

Brian is preparing for the pre-opening tournament at his golf course. Micky Keeler doesn't approve of the tournament list but he eventually agrees - then tries to bribe Liam and Donal to fix the draw. But Brian is one step ahead of him: disgusted with Micky he gives free membership away without asking him. Danny sets off to Dublin with Razor and Sean is angry when he finds out. He and Ambrose go after him while Emma builds a few bridges with Eamonn. Danny takes a tumble, Sean drops the charges and gives Razor back to him. Niamh is worried that Orla might fancy her dad, but Orla reveals that Sean would be her man of choice. Another one of Liam's and Donal's jobs for Brian goes wrong and fills the marquee with smoke. They transfer to Fitzgerald's but Brian is annoyed to discover that Niamh and Orla have locked the pub up and gone for a night out.

Henry, an African Bishop who was once one of Father Mac's curates, pays a flying visit to the town. Aidan has organised a bingo night but there is a danger that the celebrity bingo caller won't make it, and father Mac suggests Aidan does the job. Kathleen starts coaching him. but becomes frustrated at his lacklustre style. He attempts the calling on his own, but it is a disaster and Orla steps in to save her brother from embarrassment. Sean is aware that Emma is spending more time with Danny and he's not too happy about it. During bad weather they are stranded on a hill by the lake. They take shelter in a cold, empty house where they spend the night, only to face Sean the next morning. Henry has been offered a job in the Vatican, but he feels that taking it will make him look like a coward. He faces hostility from the regime and would like to be there to see it through. Father Mac persuades him that the Vatican position might be of more use to the people he serves.

Siobhan and Brendan are secretly planning their wedding but Aidan is not convinced that their reasons are genuine. Having kept it quiet, Siobhan tells Niamh that they are marrying for practical and financial reasons. Niamh bullies Siobhan into buying a dress and then organises a surprise wedding reception, but the wedding is called off at the altar. Emma decides to find out about her great grandfather, but she meets resistance from Kathleen, and she turns to Brian. He reveals that Michael Dillon was married to Nora Byrne, Eamonn's aunt, and their son was illegitimate. At least some of the bad feeling between the two families originates from that relationship, but Emma discovers that the couple were planning to get married all along. Eamonn has a fall while trying to rescue one of his sheep, and Danny enlists Sean's help in rescuing him. Eamonn refuses Sean's help while he recuperates, but Danny doesn't have a clue so he helps anyway. Niamh persuades Ambrose to get a social life, but hi

It's all change at BallyK. There's a new priest, Father Vincent Sheahan, who has arrived from Australia, there's a new stable owner, Avril Burke, and a new mechanic at Padraig's old garage, Edso Dowling. Within hours of arriving in BallyK, Father Vincent has to turn detective to find out who has set up a website, guiltgone.com, purporting to be a Ballykissangel confessional. Meanwhile, Brian Quigley has dissappeared, leaving his clothes neatly folded on the beach (remember Reggie Perrin?). Has he drowned, or does the list of his debtors point to his having 'done a runner'?