A Son of Aran portrays, in fictional mode, the life of an islander during the 1930s and subsequent decades. On winter nights, the hearth fire was a popular arena for gossip, storytelling and ancient sagas. Fables relating to Tír na nÓg and Hy Brasil (legendary Isle of the Blest), made a deep impression on young Peadar O'Flaherty. He vowed that some day he would search for that elusive island. Lost at sea in a violent storm, presumed dead, he was rescued in a disorientated state with no recollection of his identity. His memory was restored when he jumped into the sea to save his former partner from drowning. He no longer showed an interest in fishing—his abiding wish was to go to sea once again in an effort to find the fabled island.