Best Irish crime series
A curated collection of popular crime series from Ireland.
Red Rock (2015)
Red Rock (2015)
Starting on the day a long, dormant feud between two local families is brutally reignited, this continuing drama is based around a busy Dublin Garda station.On one side, the Hennessys, a local dynasty, whose name is above half the businesses in town. On the other side, the Kielys, who have turned petty crime into a cottage industry. Charting the life and dramas of a community about to be enveloped by a feud, through the eyes of those who police it, each episode will be a mix of 'crime of the week' stories and on-going serial arcs, following principle characters in both their professional and personal lives. A powerful and moving drama, Red Rock is a contemporary western, set in the shadow of Ireland's 'gold rush'.
Crimes That Shook Ireland (2012)
Crimes That Shook Ireland (2012)
This brand new series looks at some of Ireland's most brutal criminals, reconstructing the gruesome moments that shocked a nation.
Garda Down Under (2015)
Garda Down Under (2015)
Garda Down Under is the story of life on the beat for Irish officers working in Western Australia, the largest police district in the world. So large, in fact, that the island of Ireland would fit in there 30 times over.This vast expanse needs policing and with a rapidly growing population thanks to a mining boom, the WA government looked overseas, aggressively recruiting experienced officers from other jurisdictions. The Gardaí, regarded as highly trained by the Australian police force, were among their prime targets.Since 2005, 30 Gardaí have decided to pack up and head for sunnier climes, leaving recession-hit Ireland behind for a new life as cops in booming WA.For the first time ever, the WA Police Department have opened their doors to our cameras. With unique and unhindered access, we get an exclusive look at how crime fighters operate down under.In this six-part series we follow the Irish recruits on the job and off duty as they settle in. Far from home - and away from extended family networks - we discover what life is like for the Irish 'transitional officers', as they get to grips with their new work and lifestyle. We also get to see how their partners adapt to life on the other side of the world. From the urban sophistication of Perth to Kununurra, a place so remote police officers do everything from taking forensic evidence to acting as temporary paramedics, it's a major culture shock for our ex-Gardaí.Set against a backdrop of glorious sunshine and breathtaking beaches, the sheer vastness of the benign looking but harsh landscape can be one of the greatest hindrances in solving crime.With unique and exclusive access to their crime fighting units, this series, narrated by Kathryn Thomas, exposes the danger of crime fighting in a foreign land for many Irish men and women.
Quirke (2014)
Quirke (2014)
Quirke is the chief pathologist in the Dublin city morgue – a charismatic loner whose job takes him into fascinating places as he investigates sudden deaths in 1950s Dublin. His pleasures in life are raw and deep, a drink, a smoke, good food, a woman: With one woman in particular – his adoptive brother's wife Sarah and the forbidden love that has shaped and dominated Quirke's life.
The Fall (2013)
The Fall (2013)
When the Police Service of Northern Ireland are unable to close a case after 28 days, Detective Superintendent Stella Gibson of the Metropolitan Police Service is called in to review the case. Under her new leadership, the local detectives must track down and stop a serial killer who is terrorising the city of Belfast.
Jack Taylor (2010)
Jack Taylor (2010)
Jack Taylor is an Irish television drama based on a series of novels by Ken Bruen. Set in Galway, the series stars Iain Glen in the eponymous role of Jack Taylor, a former officer with the Garda Síochána who becomes a "finder" after leaving the service. Taylor is a man who goes looking for clues where others have not bothered to. He also knows the streets of his hometown like the back of his hand.
Redemption (2022)
Redemption (2022)
DI Colette Cunningham's no nonsense approach to policing has earned her the respect of her Merseyside Police colleagues. She seems unflappable, until she gets a call from the Garda in Dublin after the body of a young woman is discovered.
Hidden Assets (2021)
Hidden Assets (2021)
A routine raid led by Emer Berry, a detective in the Irish Criminal Assets Bureau, reveals that a small-time drug dealer has been receiving substantial funding from a seemingly untraceable source – not in cash, but in rough diamonds. When these diamonds are linked to a series of bombings in Belgium, Emer is forced to work with Police Commissioner Christian De Jong.
Smother (2021)
Smother (2021)
On the rugged coast of County Clare, Val Ahern's husband is found dead at the foot of a cliff the morning after a family party. The matriarch starts to dig into the family's secrets to find out who might be responsible.
Blackshore (2024)
Acceptable Risk (2017)
Acceptable Risk (2017)
When her husband, Lee, is murdered, Sarah Manning comes to realize that she knows nothing about his past. Sarah begins to question who Lee actually was and what he did in his work for a powerful global organization. And why did Lee, a salesman, need to carry a gun?
Clean Sweep (2023)
Clean Sweep (2023)
Shelly Mohan is a regular mum who juggles the lives and schedules of three children and a husband who is a local detective. It’s a chaotic and mostly thankless life, but one with which she is happy…until a dark secret emerges from her past.
Taken Down (2018)
Taken Down (2018)
Taken Down is a crime drama series set in Dublin. The first series investigates the violent death of a young Nigerian migrant found abandoned close to a Direct Provision Centre, where refugees await the hope of asylum. The investigation brings us into a twilight world of the new Ireland where slum landlords and criminals prey on the vulnerable.
North Sea Connection (2022)
North Sea Connection (2022)
The stunning scenery of Ireland's west coast conceals a dark secret in 'North Sea Connection', in which Ciara must confront the dramatic consequences of her brother Aidan's decision to transport drugs at sea.Threatened by a cartel and with a Swedish police officer closing in, Ciara's plans lead her family into a new series of unpredictable and dangerous events.
Borderline (2024)
Borderline (2024)
Forced to collaborate on a serious crime, contrasting detectives Philip Boyd and Aoife Regan, with clashing personalities and backgrounds, overcome initial friction to form an unlikely but formidable crime-fighting partnership.
Crá (2024)
Crá (2024)
In an isolated village in the north west of Ireland, a murder investigation begins when Garda Barry Roche finds a body buried in the bog. In the most personal of cases, Garda Conall Ó Súilleabháin discovers it is his mother, Sabine, who has been missing for 15 years. Conall is forbidden from working on the case, but is drawn into the investigation by a determined young journalist Ciara-Kate, who is using her true-crime podcast to expose the village's deepest secrets. As they unravel the truth, they must confront a community bound by silence and its own moral codes.
Single-Handed (2007)
Single-Handed (2007)
Single-Handed is an Irish television drama series, first broadcast on RTÉ Television in 2007. Set and filmed in the west of Ireland, it focuses on the life of a member of the Garda Síochána, Sergeant Jack Driscoll. Three two-episode, single-story series aired one each on consecutive nights in 2007, 2008 and 2009. Series Four, consisting of three stories told over six episodes, began in RTÉ One November 2010.The series is partially inspired by garda corruption in County Donegal.
Darklands (2019)
Darklands (2019)
Gangland crime drama set in small-town Ireland. Damien, a young MMA fighter with dreams of escaping his tough neighbourhood, is held back by his struggling family and his brother Wes's involvement with the local drug gang. On the eve of a big fight, a major drug deal goes wrong and Wes goes missing, events which drag Damien into a dangerous new world potentially fraught with violence and even murder.
Proof (2004)
Proof (2004)
The discovery of a connection between a small-time thief's murder and the death of a crooked accountant, peeks the interest of investigative reporter Terry Corcoran. Further digging leads him into a sordid scandal involving human trafficking, high finance and high stakes politics in this explosive Irish television series.
Fallout (2006)
Fallout (2006)
A powerful fictional drama, made in the style of a documentary, which explores some of the possible scenarios in the event of an accident occurring in the nuclear reprocessing plant, Sellafield.
Corp + Anam (2012)
Corp + Anam (2012)
The series deals with the murky corners of life on the fringes of the law, and interrogates the frenzied role the media play in presenting human tragedies as consumable bite-size news. This is Irish-language crime drama with a heart of darkness.TV crime correspondent Cathal Mac Iarnain prides himself on pursuing the story behind the story, but is too busy to notice that the world of crime is coming closer to home every day.
Murder at the Cottage: The Search for Justice for Sophie (2021)
Murder at the Cottage: The Search for Justice for Sophie (2021)
A five part Sky Original documentary series that will look into the unsolved case of Sophie Toscan du Plantier who was brutally murdered in West Cork in 1996. Using original evidence, never-before-seen footage and interviews with those closest to the case, including Sophie’s family and key suspect Ian Bailey, the series aims to unravel the unsolved case that has haunted West Cork for decades.
Ireland's Unidentified Bodies (2021)
Ireland's Unidentified Bodies (2021)
In this series forensic experts attempt to join the dots and identify some of the unidentified remains that lie in mortuaries, forensic labs and graveyards across Ireland.
The Guards: Inside The K (2020)
The Guards: Inside The K (2020)
The Guards: Inside the K is a five-part series that gives viewers unprecedented access to the daily struggles of cops as they deal with criminal activity in communities like Blanchardstown, Finglas, and Cabra in Dublin.
The Neverending Murder (2023)
The Neverending Murder (2023)
The disappearance of teen mum Nicola Payne in 1991 led to one of the largest ever investigations for the West Midlands Police. The series tells this extraordinary but tragic story through first hand testimonies from Nicola's family, friends and the detectives who worked on the case over the years.
Missing: Beyond The Vanishing Triangle (2023)
Missing: Beyond The Vanishing Triangle (2023)
A two-part true-crime series looking at some of the most notorious cases of women who disappeared within a so-called Vanishing Triangle throughout the 1990’s.
Donal MacIntyre: Breaking Crime (2015)
Donal MacIntyre: Breaking Crime (2015)
The investigative journalist explores the world of youth crime, examining its causes and the ripple effect on the wider community, as well as looking at what drives young people to choose a bad path. He meets those at the heart of the issue, including offenders, reformed criminals, the families and communities, and individuals making a difference.
Cracking Crime - The Cold Cases (2012)
Cracking Crime - The Cold Cases (2012)
With unique access to An Garda Síochána's Serious Crime Review Team – Stirling Productions explore the new investigations into some of Ireland's oldest and most shocking murders. This re-examining of cold cases allows bereaved families to take comfort in the knowledge that their loved ones have not been forgotten – and lets witnesses know it is never too late help.