RTÉ reveals first look at comedy drama The Walsh Sisters, based on novels of Marian Keyes
Part based on the blockbuster novels Rachel's Holiday and Anybody Out There, the six-part series follows the lives of sisters Anna, Rachel, Maggie, Claire and Helen as they navigate the peaks and troughs of their late 20s and 30s. This is a sisterhood full of in-jokes, hand-me-down resentments and more than a few old wounds. However, their DNA, history and shared love of power ballads keep the Walsh sisters together in the face of heartbreak, grief, addiction and parenthood.
Headlining the cast are Louisa Harland (Derry Girls, Renegade Nell, Love/Hate) as the troubled Anna Walsh and rising talent Caroline Menton (Oddity) taking on the role of one of Marian's most loved characters, sister Rachel. Danielle Galligan (House of Guinness, Spilt Milk, Shadow and Bone) plays eldest sister Claire and BAFTA-nominated Máiréad Tyers (Extraordinary, My Lady Jane, Belfast) plays Helen. The final Walsh sister, Maggie, is played by stage, screen and screenwriting talent Stefanie Preissner (Solpadeine is My Boyfriend, Can't Cope, Won't Cope, How to Adult).
Marian Keyes said: 'It's impossible to overstate how thrilled I am with this production. Stefanie Preissner's scripts alchemised the vibe of my novels into a new and compelling thing. Individually and collectively the five young women playing the sisters astonished me. Their warm, bickery engagement feels just like a family. The rest of the cast is equally tremendous, and Mammy and Daddy Walsh are beautiful together. These amazing people have captured the spirit of my books, and they're transformed into something new and exciting. Visiting the set was always a thrill, the director and crew had a definite vision, and their commitment and hard work was clear. There's a lot that's very funny and warm but some of the scenes are dark and deeply moving. This probably sounds like a strange thing to say but even if I wasn't involved in this, I'd be dying to see it. I'm so grateful to all the individuals who worked so hard to make this beautiful series and I'm very excited for the world to see the finished product.'
Aidan Quinn (This is my Father, Legends of the Fall, Song for a Raggy Boy) stars as Jack 'Daddy' Walsh alongside his screen wife Carrie Crowley (An Cailín Ciúin, Hope Street, Smother) as eccentric Mammy. Jay Duffy (Wheel of Time, Northern Lights) who will play Rachel's complicated love interest Luke Costello. Samuel Anderson (Amanda land, Landscapers) will also feature as Aidan – Anna's love interest, and Debi Mazar (Kaos, Younger, Entourage) will play the part of Chaquie.
The Walsh Sisters is adapted from Marian Keyes' novels by Stefanie Preissner, directed by Ian Fitzgibbon (Hullraisers, Moone Boy), the producer is Patrick O'Donoghue (The Tourist, Brooklyn, The Wonder), with Kefi Chadwick (Rivals, Death in Paradise) as additional writer. It is produced by Cuba Pictures and Metropolitan Pictures for RTÉ in association with the BBC, Screen Ireland and Cineflix Rights.
The executive producers of The Walsh Sisters are Dixie Linder and Nick Marston for Cuba Pictures, David McLoughlin for Metropolitan Pictures, David Crean and Dermot Horan for RTÉ, James Durie and Tom Misselbrook for Cineflix Rights, Stefanie Preissner, Marian Keyes, and Tony Baines. Kate McColgan is the executive producer for Screen Ireland. Cineflix Rights is the exclusive worldwide distributor.
-ENDS-
RTÉ Communications: Éadaoin Nic Giolla Chomhaill
Notes to Editors:
About The Walsh Sisters:
Set in their Dublin hometown, The Walsh Sisters follows the lives of Anna, Rachel, Maggie, Claire and Helen as they navigate the peaks and troughs of their late 20s and 30s. This is a sisterhood full of in-jokes, hand-me-down resentments and more than a few old wounds. But their DNA, history and shared love of power ballads keep the Walsh sisters together in the face of heartbreak, grief, addiction and parenthood. Marian Keyes is one of the most successful Irish novelists of all time.
About Marian Keyes:
Marian Keyes is the multi-million copy, internationally bestselling author of some of the most widely-loved, genre-defying novels of the past 30 years, including Rachel's Holiday, Anybody Out There and Grown Ups (Penguin Michael Joseph). She has amassed millions of fans around the world who are irresistibly drawn by her warmth and wit, fearless honesty, relatable characters and relationships, and sheer storytelling magic. Her books have explored some of the most challenging issues of our time, including addiction, immigration, depression, domestic violence and the Repeal the 8th campaign.
Her many accolades include five Irish Book Awards and being named Author of the Year at the prestigious British Book Awards in 2022. Since her first novel was published in 1995, more than 39 million copies of Keyes' books have been sold around the world, translated into 36 languages. Rachel's Holiday, Keyes' darkly comic 1997 novel about alcohol addiction and rehab, was ranked 14th in The Sunday Times' 2024 list of the top 50 novels of the 20th century.
Keyes is a passionate champion of storytellers everywhere, playing an active role in encouraging the next generation of writers. She has been the chair of judges for the Comedy Women in Print prize, a sponsor of the Curtis Brown Creative Marian Keyes scholarship, and ran her own hugely popular Instagram Live series bringing free creative writing courses to thousands of viewers.
Both critically acclaimed and commercially unstoppable, Keyes' 16th novel, My Favourite Mistake was an immediate No. 1 bestseller in five territories: the UK, Ireland, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. It was also a No. 1 Audible bestseller and one of Audible's audiobooks of the year.
In addition to her novels, Keyes has written two collections of journalism, one of which was used as the inspiration for her hit BBC Radio 4 show Between Ourselves. She also co-presents the popular BBC Radio 4 podcast Now You're Asking with actress Tara Flynn, which has been praised by The Guardian for its 'warm-hearted joy'. Keyes is based in Dublin.
Instagram: @marian_keyes | www.mariankeyes.com
About Cuba Pictures:
Cuba Pictures is a BAFTA-, Emmy-, RTA- and BIFA-winning production company celebrated for high-profile TV and film projects. TV highlights include McMafia, starring James Norton (BBC One/AMC), based on Misha Glenny's bestseller and winner of the 2019 International Emmy for Best Drama; Coalition (RTS Award for Best Single Drama); multiple BAFTA-winning Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, starring Eddie Marsan and Bertie Carvel; and IFTA-winning Paula with Denise Gough (BBC Two/ RTÉ).
Cuba's film credits include BAFTA-winning Boy A with Andrew Garfield; BIFA-winning Broken, starring Tim Roth and Cillian Murphy; The Ones Below with David Morrissey; London Road with Olivia Colman and Tom Hardy; and The Delinquent Season, starring Cillian Murphy and Andrew Scott.
In collaboration with The National Theatre, Cuba has produced four films, including Romeo and Juliet with Jessie Buckley and Josh O'Connor (RTSP-nominated) and Death of England: Face to Face (BAFTA/RTS-nominated). Most recently, Cuba produced The Chemistry of Death, an adaptation of Simon Beckett's crime novels, which premiered on Paramount+ in 2023.
Currently, Cuba is in post-production on The Rumour, an adaptation of Lesley Kara's bestselling novel.
About Metropolitan Films International:
With more than 25 years of experience in film and television production, Metropolitan Films International, in association with its global network of partners, develops, produces and provides a comprehensive suite of production services to international film and television projects locating in Ireland.
Metropolitan's numerous award-winning feature film co-productions include Martin McDonagh's Oscar-nominated The Banshees of Inisherin for Fox Searchlight; Disney's Disenchanted, the sequel to 2007's Enchanted; Ridley Scott's The Last Duel for Fox, starring Matt Damon, Ben Affleck and Jodie Comer; and Silver for Constantin Film and Amazon Studios. Mostly recently, it co-produced Fifth Season and Lionsgate's gripping political thriller Anniversary, starring Diane Lane, Kyle Chandler and Zoey Deutch.
Current projects in production include Wednesday (season two) for MGM/Netflix; Harry Wild (season four) for Acorn and ZDF, starring Jane Seymour; Sanctuary (season two) for AMC; and How to Get to Heaven from Belfast, Lisa McGee's follow-up to Derry Girls, for Hat Trick and Netflix.
Metropolitan has also produced a wide variety of critically acclaimed television series, including the award-winning Irish crime drama KIN (seasons one and two) for BRON Studios, AMC, RTÉ and Screen Ireland, acquired by BBC and Netflix; The Tourist (season two), starring Jamie Dornan, for Two Brothers Pictures, BBC and All3Media; Vikings and Valhalla for MGM and Netflix; Penny Dreadful for Showtime; Greta, directed by Neil Jordan for Sidney Kimmel Entertainment and Universal; and Into The Badlands for AMC.
About Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland
As the national agency for the Irish film, television drama, animation and documentary industry, Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland is the creative partner to the sector, investing in talent, creativity and enterprise. They are inspired by original storytelling that will emotionally move audiences at home and abroad. Through a wide range of practical funding supports across development, production, distribution, promotion and skills development, Screen Ireland supports the sector at every stage. Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland support filmmakers in their creative pursuit to share valuable artistic, cultural and commercial stories on screen.
About Cineflix Rights:
Cineflix Rights is the UK's largest independent TV content distributor to broadcasters and streamers worldwide, offering a catalogue of standout scripted series and movies as well as must-watch, long-running factual brands.
Cineflix Rights' scripted slate features the new crime drama Virdee, based on the best-selling books by AA Dhand, for the BBC; the return of the international cult sensation Wynonna Earp: Vengeance for Tubi; dystopian thriller Heart Attack for Fuji TV; and the 2024 Séries Mania Official Selection So Long, Marianne, inspired by the love story between Leonard Cohen and Marianne Ihlen. These new titles join returning seasons of International Emmy® Best Drama Award-winning espionage series Tehran for Apple TV+; Paramount+ Australia's crime drama Last King of The Cross; Reginald the Vampire, starring Spider-Man's Jacob Batalon for SYFY US; Irvine Welsh's Crime with Dougray Scott in his International Emmy® award-winning role for ITVX/BritBox; and Acorn TV's cozy crime procedural Whitstable Pearl.
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The question was about Rudyard Kipling's Plain Tales from the Hills and they wanted to know what hills he was referring to. I said the Himalayas; they flagged it as incorrect. Apparently it was the Simla. 'Someone said, 'well, technically Simla is in the Himalayas now so maybe the best thing to do is take out that question completely'. Now, I was in the middle of a two-minute round and this interruption came. I didn't take a whole lot of notice though, it didn't put me off or anything thankfully." Gay Byrne gaffe And then came the slip. Gay Byrne, ever the showman, prematurely released news of John Mulcahy's victory on RTÉ radio, to the dismay of the BBC who weren't set to air the show until the following month. 'There was a delegation from RTÉ over including Adrian Cronin, who was the producer of The Late Late Show at the time. He rang up Gay Byrne, either that night or the next morning. He said 'the Irish fella is after winning the Mastermind' but never said to Gay to keep it quiet. So, what did Gay do? He put it out on the radio the following morning. 'It was a laugh because my poor father was here at home and he'd gone up to the shop as usual for the milk. They were asking him 'how did John do? How did John get on?' And he'd say 'Ah, he did alright. He didn't let us down anyway'. The next thing he came home and the phone was hopping off the hook, everyone wanting to talk to him. Of course, it was the same inside the school. Press coverage about John Mulcahy. 'They probably were annoyed but this was a matter between RTÉ and the BBC. I didn't know anything. It was on the front page of all the papers over in London. I was out of circulation. There were no mobile phones or anything and the few friends that I was over with had gone home. So, I was on my own and enjoying life until I got to Heathrow where I was paged. 'I think it was the Daily Express turned up with a camera and a reporter and I had to unpackage my trophy and get a photograph taken. When I went up to board the plane an Aer Lingus employee said 'Mr Mulcahy, would you mind just waiting please? We'll try and get people on board and out of the way'. I thought what's all this about? Press coverage about John Mulcahy. 'So they got everyone on and I was last, placed in the front seat. To my surprise everyone jumped up and applauded. The idea was, of course, that I'd be off first in Cork. I was whipped away rather than going through security and they brought me into some room where the family were waiting and the press. It was kind of the VIP treatment which was the last thing I was expecting." He said that when he went into school the following week someone showed up and said "it's Gay Byrne on the phone, he's looking for you". "So I went in anyway and he said 'I've heard a rumour that the BBC withdrew the trophy and that they're going to cancel the programme'. So I said, 'well, as far as I'm concerned, the trophy's at home in the cupboard, I've heard nothing about it'. "I think he was worried that there might have been repercussions over it.' The International Mastermind trophy awarded in 1979 to John Mulcahy. Picture: Chani Anderson And there it still rests, tucked away safely. A simple object but a shining symbol. Surprisingly, Mr Mulcahy never pursued the next big win. Mastermind International would suffice for the Whitechurch whizz. He celebrated with family and friends for days on end, so much so that Guinness House ran out of their signature black stout, having to dash dramatically across to the Oyster mid-revelry and hold up St Patrick's St to roll a dozen more barrels back to HQ. It was pure madness. There were parties everywhere, every crowd wanted something. The celebrations went on for a while "The show, would you believe, was actually shown at home on Ash Wednesday so I went up for a pint the night before and I said that's the end of that now.' And it was. He returned to what he loved most: shaping the minds of the youth. He taught in Deer Park and the local community school in Whitechurch for years before taking tenure as a professor at UCC. As he put it himself, he never had an inclination to do anything else, despite others' expectations. 'There was a program on there one time about television quizzes and they were on about the way some of the winners of Mastermind had gone on to host their own quiz shows among other things but I never had any inclination. There were no offers anyway. 'I was very happy as a teacher anyway, quite happy to continue on.' In a world driven by immediacy and digital shortcuts, John Mulcahy's legacy stands for something rarer. It was a patient, unflashy pursuit of knowledge grounded in curiosity, tempered by humility, and crowned with one of the most quietly extraordinary victories in Irish public life.
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- RTÉ News
Ian Dempsey recalls his day working on Live Aid
Former 2fm DJ and current Today FM breakfast show host Ian Dempsey worked behind the scenes on RTÉ's award-winning TV coverage of Live Aid. He shares some memories of the day What was your role on the day? "Along with my colleagues, I was 'manning' the phones (a term which probably doesn't exist 40 years later) with fellow presenter Barry Lang and Broadcasting Assistant Linda Bent. "Our job was to chat, flirt and secure plenty of cash from a very willing public. What a great day it was. We were also simulcasting on Radio 2 (now 2FM) so there was no escape for anybody!" Were you there for the whole thing? "No. As I remember it, we each had to do a shift of about three hours over in the TV Block. I was there from about midday until 3pm so early enough and I drove straight home afterwards and went into a darkened room with the television on and watched every microsecond until about 3am the next day." Live Aid was a HUGE live event with a lot of moving parts and a lot going on so lots of chances for cock-ups - were there many during RTÉ's coverage? "To be fair to the Donnybrook end of things, it was plain sailing as far as I could see. I suppose they had very little control over the actual music, the feeds, the satellites etc so it was just a case of filling in the spaces whenever necessary. Of course, there was an amazing 'can do' attitude with everybody involved and that usually helps things run both smoothly and brilliantly." What were your highlights - musical and otherwise? "I think that pocket of Live Aid in the late afternoon in London which featured separate performances by U2 (landscape changing for Bono), Queen (21 minutes of excellence - no debate) and David Bowie (well, what did we expect?) - but it has to be said that Status Quo at midday kicking it all off with the most appropriate song ever was a bit special - Rocking All Over The World." What were your lowlights - musical and otherwise? "I thought the American end was less good but maybe I was just tired. It didn't seem to have the same oomph! Although, I did enjoy The Thompson Twins with Madonna." Did you get the feeling early on in the day that Ireland would end up contributing the most per capita than any other county? "Well, Ireland has a brilliant record at helping others. I knew it would be an impressive total from the response that we got on the phones. It was non-stop!" Was it an emotional experience for you? "Yes, I think it was something the whole world could come together for and it proved the power of people when we all felt passionately about the issues in Ethiopia. And the fact that Bob Geldof, a lad from South County Dublin, was putting the fear of God into rock stars, TV viewers and donors made it all extra emotional." What do you think Live Aid's legacy is? "It was a unique event that will never happen again. Everybody was caught on the hop and the outcome was unbelievable."
