Thirty-six years after David Lynch and Mark Frost’s landmark mystery gripped television audiences globally, the RTÉ Guide archives have resurfaced a fascinating snapshot of Irish media personalities guessing the killer of Laura Palmer.
- RTÉ Guide published a double-page spread featuring Irish public figures guessing Laura Palmer’s killer in November 1990.
- Contributors included broadcaster Gerry Ryan, news anchor Bryan Dobson, Nell McCafferty, and soccer international Packie Bonner.
- The series sparked a nationwide cultural craze in Ireland, nearly superseding the weather as a staple conversation topic.
Broadcaster Gerry Ryan followed every episode of the mystery phenomenon upon its arrival on RTÉ screens in late 1990. He viewed the critically acclaimed drama as a comedy, noting that the performances felt so stylised they crossed into Pythonesque territory, according to the RTÉ Guide archive.
Ryan suspected series creator David Lynch might be having a laugh at the audience while delivering marvellous television. He offered the tongue-in-cheek theory that Bobby Ewing committed the murder.
News anchor Bryan Dobson also praised the programme’s unique approach to Americana. Dobson noted that Lynch took perfectly normal Middle American life and peeled back the skin to reveal underlying corruption and bizarre behaviour, as reported by the RTÉ Guide.
Dobson found the unfolding narrative totally incomprehensible yet gripping. Weighing in on the central mystery, he suggested that the truck-driver was too obvious a candidate, floating the possibility that FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper orchestrated a cover-up.
Journalist Nell McCafferty told the RTÉ Guide that the project was the first soap thriller she had ever watched. She praised its expansive cast of intriguing leading and incidental figures, admitting she did not have a clue who killed Laura Palmer.
Footballer Packie Bonner monitored every episode closely from the start. Bonner stated his conviction that more than one individual was involved in the crime, suspecting a satanic cult bore responsibility.
Broadcaster Ciana Campbell playfully declared her own innocence to the publication. Campbell compared the sprawling suspect list to Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express
before confessing that the dream sequence stretched her credibility.
| Public Figure | Noted Profession | Suspect Theory |
|---|---|---|
| Gerry Ryan | Broadcaster | Bobby Ewing (Joke theory) |
| Bryan Dobson | News Anchor | Agent Dale Cooper (Cover-up) |
| Packie Bonner | Footballer | A satanic cult |
| Donncha Ó Dúlaing | Broadcaster | Laura Palmer is still alive |
Broadcaster Donncha Ó Dúlaing made a point of missing no episodes of the northwestern logging town drama. Noting the frequent appearances of the victim, Ó Dúlaing wondered if Laura Palmer was dead at all, suggesting she might make a late candidate for the presidency.
Emer O’Kelly missed the initial broadcast wave due to irregular working hours. O’Kelly noted an advance write-up warning that missing the series risked social ostracisation at dinner parties, leaving her determined to catch up.
The cultural phenomenon in Ireland mirrored the American craze where viewers organized viewing parties featuring cherry pie and doughnuts. As RTÉ documented, the fictional Washington town of loggers and illicit secrets had completely eclipsed routine conversation topics across the country.
