Peter returns to BallyK with a lot of things on his mind. Ambrose catches him, and most of the regulars, at Fitzgerald's after hours, and all face charges. Assumpta's pleas that it was a private party fall on deaf ears. Assumpta and Peter are double-booked to baby-sit for Kieran, and it gives Peter the opportunity to tell her how he feels. She wants to know exactly what he wants, but it is clear that he still doesn't know himself. The pub regulars are let off the hook after it is revealed that they were only drinking cans bought from Kathleen's shop. Peter and Assumpta discuss their situation again, and Peter takes time to make his decision. A disparaging remark about Assumpta, made by Father Mac, helps Peter to make up his mind. He wants Assumpta, whatever it takes. They make plans for him to leave the priesthood and work at the pub. But tragedy strikes at the pub, that night. Assumpta has been having problems with the fuse box and she is electrocuted as the lights fail again. Father

Two mysterious strangers have the villagers intrigued. They come to the conclusion that they are revenue men, and everyone apparently has something to hide: Eamonn has been using farm diesel in his car; Father Mac has concerns about his finances; and Assumpta persuades Peter to hide her stash of duty free lager. Assumpta's problems have been mounting up and she tells Niamh that she might leave the village to run a wine bar in Dublin. Peter is upset that she didn't talk to him first. Everyone's minds are put at rest when the strangers are revealed to be fraud investigators who are arresting Sean Dooley for bribery and corruption. Niamh reveals that she is pregnant again, and the party that follows uses up Assumpta's tax-free lager.

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.

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.

Mairead has a crush on Aiden, but he doesn't realise this until she kisses him. Her mother wants answers, and Frankie has to question Aiden, who blames himself. Meanwhile, Niamh and Sean announce their engagement, and set about arranging the wedding. But Brendan is worried about his best man's speech, and Sean seems to be having second thoughts. Even Niamh is unsure: everything and everyone she knows are here in Ballykissangel, but she would rather leave and be with Sean. Liam and Donal, in a desperate attempt to find money for a wedding present, end up in the bookies. To their surprise they are lucky with the horses and before long they have raised the sum of two thousand pounds. An old man, who has been watching them proposes a game of cards. They play 'higher or lower' with the old man and have soon bet away all their money. That night, as they sit despondently at the bar of Fitzgerald's, Paul produces a parcel 'some old man' left for them. They open it to find a cut glass ornament

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.

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.

With the birth of Niamh's baby approaching the last thing she needs is a stressful visit from Ambrose's mother, Imelda. Kathleen discovers a miracle at the church 0 a statue has started to sweat. Within hours the town is filled with people and Peter is suspicious that several residents stand to gain from the 'miracle': Assumpta's doing good business at the pub; Padraig's got his first scoop for the local paper; Liam's and Donal's fast-food van is doing a roaring trade; and father Mac is happy to see the donations increase. Padraig's journalistic talent is also put to good use trying to find out what Brian is up to. He's buying land from Eamonn, but he also wants two access roads and he's not saying why. The 'sweat' on the statue is finally identified as chip fat, and Peter gives Liam and Donal an angry lecture on the evils of exploiting the church for their own gain. Ambrose's mother is sent home on the advice of Dr Ryan, but Niamh gives birth in the car on the way back, with Ambrose d

Assumpta doesn't hold a very high opinion of the church. In the annual slave auction she is sold to Father Mac who does not hold a very high opinion of Assumpta. As a result, she has to provide accommodation for two visiting parish priests and a Bishop. Father Mac is less than impressed when he finds Father Peter pulling pints as Assumpta's slave. A musician, Enda O'Sullivan, moves into BallyK and is cast as Assumpta's love interest in the village play. Niamh is thrilled and thinks Assumpta should go out with him. Enda's ankle is injured during rehearsals and Peter is brought in to replace him, which leads to a compromising situation witnessed by Father Mac. Brian refuses to fund the play unless Enda plays the lead role. With a little help from Dr Ryan Enda is back on his feet in time for the opening night - much to Peter's disappointment.

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.

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.

Father Aidan's alleged healing hands land him in trouble when it transpires that the woman he helped is making a fraudulent compensation claim for her injuries. He appeals to her conscience to get her to withdraw the claim. Niamh is disgusted when Brian changes the pub's name in an effort to appeal more to the tourists. She walks out and leaves him surrounded by irate customers. He makes allowances for her family life, which eventually brings her back, but Ambrose is not happy. Sean's compassion for an injured fox puts him in Eamonn's bad books, and Padraig is influenced by past events - Sean owns Padraig's family's land.

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.

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 Vincent has got troubles: he's tested positive for drink driving, and the bank is about to take away the cottage which used to belong to Brian, and in which he lives. Meanwhile, Liam's fallen in love with Siobhan's niece, Elaine, and Siobahan is furious with Brendan for being irresponsible. Then there's Paul, who wants to buy Louis's cottage . . .

Sean decides to go and see Niamh, although it turns out to be a far bigger experience than he had expected, what with ruining the market and racing through a stream to get Kieran. Meanwhile, Aiden is having trouble getting people to join the choir, and Orla doesn't help by telling a few lies to the Dooley children, which makes them think they are going to be on TV. Also, there is a young girl with a wonderful voice whose mother doesn't want her to have anything do with the church. At the close, Sean asks Niamh to marry him, and she tells him that she loves him.

Uncle Minto reckons that there is a fortune to be made with illegal spirits. He enlists the help of Liam and Donal to make it, and soon convinces Paul to buy a large consignment, behind Oonagh's back. Unfortunately, things don't go as they hope, and the scam does not go unnoticed - the pub's guest, Frankie, seems to know what's going on. A reluctant Orla lets Conor stay the night on her couch while his boat is being fixed. Things get decidedly awkward when he brings her breakfast in bed, and then Aidan arrives to see Conor doing the washing-up. Frankie turns out to be the new Garda.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

Paul Dooley is released from prison, having spent six months inside for tax fraud. Now bankrupt he does not know that his wife, Oonagh, has arranged a new life for him and their two children, Dermott and Grainne, in Ballykissangel. Paul is furious. As the Dooleys move in, Niamh moves out, planning to leave the village and move to the outskirts of Dublin. As she waits for the key to arrive at the Estate Agent's, she goes to a pub where she and Sean have spent some time in the past. Sean, who had earlier spotted in town, is already there. He tries to avoid her, but fails, and they sit together and fantasise about what a future together might have been like. They say goodbye. Romance is blossoming for Orla and Conor - or rather it would if it were not for the interruptions. Conor plans a romantic evening at Orla's cottage, but she has invited half the village to a party to celebrate keeping her job at Fitzgerald's.

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.

Peter returns to BallyK to discover a pair of scantily clad young women in his house. It transpires that Brian's bankruptcy has forced him to rent out the house. There is much worse to come when Assumpta gets back to the pub with her new husband, Leo McGarvey, in tow. It's a shock for Peter, but he takes particular offence that she didn't tell him about it. Peter distracts himself by organising a pub quiz against a rival team from Cildargan. All the relationships in the village seem to have broken down while he's been away, and it needs something to bring them together. Surprisingly, Donal saves the day with his newfound interest in philosophy. It helps to restore the community spirit, but doesn't solve Peter's problems. Ambrose's investigations into a string of burglaries ends when he makes an arrest during one of Kieran's sleepless nights.

The Dooley's new pet goat, Daddy G, is causing havoc at the pub, and is moved to Avril's stables. Avril, however, has money worries, and is thinking of selling The Cat, her beloved racehorse. Meanwhile, Father Vincent is called to the police station to hear a man's confession, and finds himself in an ethical dilemma.

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.

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 is depressed but not defeated after the loss of a major investment. The bank has repossessed his house and car, and when he learns that Ambrose's mother has quite a bit of money tucked away his attitude towards her changes completely. While Niamh doubts his interest in her will come to anything, Ambrose is convinced that marriage could be on the horizon. Imelda refuses to let Brian have all her money, but does help him out with a smaller amount. Donal and Sue Ellen are also heading for marriage, but Brian's losses mean laying off Liam and Donal. The strength of their friendship is tested to the limit after Liam sees Sue Ellen two-timing Donal with a richer man. With father Peter on an enforced retreat, Father Mac decides to prove that accurate at Ballykissangel is unnecessary, but he is soon proved very wrong.

Dr Ryan's winning streak in the local horse race is threatened by Razor, who belongs to Danny. He is betting on himself in order to raise the funds to stable Razor in Dublin. If he loses he'll sell Razor to pay back his loans. Brian is linking the race with a membership drive for the golf course, but his business partner has plenty of ideas about who should be eligible to join. He offers Dr Ryan life membership if he wins the race. Orla moves into the police house and immediately finds herself in the thick of the action when a drug dealer, whom Ambrose had previously arrested, starts to take revenge. Orla takes up Padraig's offer of a room, but it causes tensions between Padraig and Kevin. Danny is injured before the race, so Emma rides instead. She comes in second. Sean has been looking to buy Emma a horse for her birthday and Eamonn sells him Razor.

A statue is discovered on Sean's land. It's a 'sheelnagig' - a fertility symbol. Kathleen is disgusted by it and even more disgusted by Aidan's apathy towards it. The statue goes missing and Siobhan knows who the culprit is. Danny and Emma become good friends, although Emma thinks Eamonn's plans for the farm are a little over-ambitious. Orla is disappointed when a dinner with Sean comes to nothing. A satellite dish is installed in Fitzgerald's to watch football on, but it ends up tuned to an Argentinian soap opera, which the locals quickly get addicted to. Padraig is facing life without Kevin, who has gone to visit his mother in England, and he turns to drink. His friends are there to help him, but the problem still remains.

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.

Conor tells Orla that he has been offered some work in Spain, and wants to know if there is a future for them. She tells him to go. Frankie finds her own brand of justice for Paul - Community Service, painting the school gym. However, he gets all the others who had been involved in the illegal liquor scam to help him out, much to the dismay of Brian and Father Mac. Meanwhile, Brian has told Liam and Donal to cut the hedges at the golf course, but they get carried away with a bit of topiary. However, Brian is beginning to feel lonely with Niamh no longer around. When he sees the hedge, instead of telling the boys off he tells them he likes it, and asks them if they can do a giraffe - Kieran would like that. Then, he sees Sean outside Kathleen's shop, shopping for one, and gives him Niamh's address and telephone number.