The crime comedy series Tall Tales & Murder premiered on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player on September 27, 2026. Based on Caimh McDonnell’s Dublin Trilogy, the six-part series follows a nursing home worker and a car thief on a dangerous treasure hunt for buried Celtic gold.
The series blends gangland tension with off-kilter humor, marking a departure for creator Stuart Carolan, known for the hit show Love/Hate. While it retains a criminal underbelly, this adaptation introduces elements of Celtic folklore and a more chaotic, bizarre tone. The production was a collaboration between Avalon and Metropolitan Pictures for RTÉ and BBC Northern Ireland.
A Treasure Hunt for Celtic Gold
The plot centers on a quirky nursing home where a long-term comatose patient, known only as Anonymous
, suddenly awakens. He reveals his true identity as Grinner McNair, a former gangster who possesses the location of a buried hoard of Celtic gold. This revelation sparks a dangerous journey for two unlikely partners: Bridget, an unconventional nightshift nurse, and Paul, an ex-con.
Paul’s entry into the home is a calculated move to avoid trouble with a crime boss named Ma Baker, to whom he owes a debt. He secures the position at the nursing home with the help of Detective Bunny Ryan. As Bridget and Paul pursue the gold, they find themselves entangled with not only Ma Baker but another gangster, Wesley Swanson, and a subplot involving Vikings, monks, and a missing holy book.
Brian Doherty: From Fair City Villain to Guardian Angel
For viewers of Fair City, the series offers a stark contrast in performance. Brian Doherty, who typically portrays the manipulative villain JJ in Carrigstown, takes on the role of Detective Bunny Ryan. Described as a GAA-obsessed detective, Bunny serves as a ham-fisted guardian angel for Paul.
That’s what you want as an actor – you don’t want to be playing the same thing over and over again.
Brian Doherty, actor
Doherty noted that playing Bunny allows him to explore a character whose life philosophy is simply, We’ll think of something
. This role also reunited him with Aisling O’Sullivan, who plays The Matron. The two first worked together 35 years ago in the early 90s in a play called The Murphy Initiative at the Abbey in Dublin. This production marks the fourth time they have played romantic partners on screen or stage, including previous projects such as RAW and The Wake.
The Cast and Creative Team
The series features a mix of established talent and newcomers. Newcomer Casey Walsh makes his television acting debut as Paul, a role he auditioned for while on his honeymoon. Walsh, who previously focused on music, described the show as nothing like Love/Hate!
despite the shared creator.
| Actor | Character | Role/Description |
|---|---|---|
| Ella-Lily Hyland | Bridget | Unconventional nightshift nurse |
| Casey Walsh | Paul | Ex-con and car thief |
| Aidan Gillen | Grinner McNair | Comatose gangster with gold secrets |
| Philippa Dunne | Ma Baker | Dangerous gang leader |
| Brian Doherty | Bunny Ryan | GAA-obsessed detective |
| Aisling O’Sullivan | The Matron | Bridget’s icy boss |
| Packy Lee | Wesley Swanson | Gangster |
Behind the scenes, the series was co-created by Stuart Carolan and Chris Addison. Addison, known for his work on Veep and The Thick of It, directed several episodes alongside Bafta Award-winning director Neasa Hardiman.
Viewing Schedule and Availability
In Ireland, all six episodes were released on RTÉ Player on September 27, 2026, while the television premiere aired on RTÉ One at 9:40 p.m. that same evening. Viewers using the streaming service do not need to follow the broadcast schedule to finish the season.
For audiences in the UK, the series is expected to air on BBC One and BBC One Northern Ireland later in autumn 2026, though a specific date has not yet been provided in the official announcement.
Production Pipeline and Future Seasons
The immediate success of the project has already led to further development. A second season of Tall Tales & Murder is already in the pipeline. Doherty expressed eagerness to see the upcoming scripts, noting that the story has many directions it could take.
The narrative complexity of the first season is a key draw; Doherty mentioned that some storylines are so unexpected that actors questioned if they were reading a page from another script
during production. This unpredictability is intended to leave viewers wondering how the various plot strands will eventually converge.
