Ireland has produced some cracker TV shows, from serious dramas to hilarious sitcoms. Today, we are counting down the top five best Irish TV shows of all time.
Would you believe that it is only in recent years that Hollywood has recognised the potential of the Emerald Isle as a world-class filming destination? No, us neither.
Long before American-made shows, such as Game of Thrones and Vikings, catapulted the beauty of the Emerald Isle to television screens around the world, television producers in Ireland were creating some top quality content.
From side-splittingly funny sitcoms to heartfelt romances and gripping dramas, Irish TV is truly something special. So, if you’re flicking through Netflix wondering what to watch, you can stop scrolling now and check out the five best Irish TV shows of all time.
- Normal People (2020) – a coming of age romance
Taking over screens around the world at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 was the television adaptation of Sally Rooney’s romantic drama novel Normal People.
Following the lives of two Irish teens come early adults, Connell Waldron (Paul Mescal) and Marianne Sheridan (Daisy Edgar-Jones), as they navigate growing up in Ireland, moving from a rural Irish town to Dublin and further afield, and the minefield that is dating and relationships.
The series tackles tough subject matters, such as class, abuse, mental health, consent, complex family relationships, and what it means to be a young Irish person in the modern day.
With the book and television series capturing the hearts of many all over the world, we had to include Normal People on our list of best Irish TV shows of all time.
- Mrs Brown’s Boys (2011-present) – one of the funniest shows on Irish television
Mrs Brown’s Boys stars the hilariously funny Irish comedian Brendan O’Carroll as the title character Mrs Agnes Brown. Poking fun at the Irish mammy stereotype, the show follows the lives of Mrs Brown and her (somewhat dysfunctional) family, with plenty of jokes and gags along the way.
Featuring plenty of witty Irish humour, the show has proven hugely successful throughout both Ireland and the UK. First hitting our screens in 2011 and still filming to this day, it is the longest-running show on our list. Plus, it even has its very own movie!
So, if you’re looking for a hilarious, light-hearted watch that is sure to get the whole room laughing, then we highly recommend Mrs Brown’s Boys.
- Derry Girls (2018-2022) – a worldwide phenomenon
Bringing the city of Derry to screens around the world, Derry Girls has proven to be a hit not just in Ireland but all around the world. With the highly anticipated third and final season hitting television screens in April 2022, fans of the show are not ready for the gang’s shenanigans to end.
Following a group of friends from Derry – Erin, Michelle, Orla, Clare, and “the wee English fella” James – viewers are brought right back to the 90s in Northern Ireland.
With the undercurrent of The Troubles rumbling in the background, we see the friends just trying to get on with their own lives. However, this is not without some ups and downs and hilarious scenarios along the way.
Undoubtedly one of the best Irish TV shows of all time, Derry Girls has firmly cemented its place in Irish TV history. We can’t wait to see what the show’s creator Lisa McGee goes on to do in the future.
- Father Ted (1995-1998) – a much-loved Irish sitcom
No list of best Irish TV shows would be complete without mentioning the hilarious 90s sitcom that is Father Ted.
Following the lives of three unconventional priests that have been banished to the remote Craggy Island, some of the best Father Ted episodes see the characters get themselves into some questionable situations.
Featuring plenty of laughs, some epic cameos, and lots of memorable one-liners, Father Ted is undoubtedly a worthy addition to our list of the best Irish TV shows.
- Love/Hate (2010-2014) – taking a look at Dublin’s criminal underworld
First hitting television screens across Ireland in 2014, Love/Hate is a dark drama series produced by RTÉ Television. Taking a fictional look into Dublin’s criminal underworld, the show was a gripping watch that dealt with some extremely difficult subject matter.
Starring big names such as Robert Sheehan, Ruth Negga, Aidan Gillan, Killian Scott, and Tom Vaughan-Lawlor, among many others, the show had a lasting impact and continues to attract new viewers to this day.
Primarily filmed in Dublin, the show focuses on the rivalry between criminal gangs and the impact of violence on the main characters and their families.
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