ITV has acquired The Galway Bay Murders, a six-part crime thriller starring Kate Mulgrew and Colm Meaney, set to air on ITV1 and stream on ITVX. The series comes from Two Cities Television, the production company behind BBC One's acclaimed Belfast police drama Blue Lights.
Murder Mystery Set in Connemara
The drama is set against the backdrop of Connemara on Ireland's west coast. It follows seasoned NYPD detective Nora Savage, played by Kate Mulgrew, who arrives in the west of Ireland hoping to escape a traumatic past and find a quieter life. Her plans are shattered when the body of a young woman is discovered in a bog, drawing her into a complex murder investigation alongside the local Garda.
Detectives uncover a trail leading to Free Farm, an ambitious organisation where young people live and work together on sustainable farming and scientific research. Beneath its seemingly idyllic exterior lies a tangled web of secrets, competing loyalties and hidden motives.
Cast and Creative Team
The ensemble cast also stars Colm Meaney alongside John Connors, India Mullen, Cillian O'Sullivan and Jack Rowan. The series marks the television screenwriting debut of creator Eithne Verling, a former archaeologist and museum curator. All six episodes were written specifically for Mulgrew following a chance meeting between the pair in Galway that developed into a close friendship.
Joe Lawlor and Christine Molloy, whose previous directing credits include Baltimore and Kin, direct the six-part series. Two Cities Television, which is part of STV Studios, produced the drama alongside Keeper Pictures and AS I AM Productions.
ITV Executives Praise Acquisition
Darren Nartey, head of content acquisitions at ITV, praised the acquisition as a major addition to the broadcaster's drama lineup. He said: "The Galway Bay Murders is precisely the kind of bold, high-calibre drama our audiences love. Eithne Verling has crafted a completely magnetic crime thriller, with an outstanding cast led by Kate Mulgrew and Colm Meaney, a compelling central mystery and the stunning backdrop of Ireland's west coast. We're thrilled to partner with ITV Studios, Two Cities Television and RTÉ to bring this captivating new series to the ITV audience."
International Distribution and Production
Commissioned by Irish broadcaster RTÉ, the series is made in association with and distributed internationally by ITV Studios. Stephen Wright, joint chief executive and creative director of Two Cities Television, welcomed the international reach of the show. He said: "Two Cities Television are thrilled to bring The Galway Bay Murders to a global audience. Along with our production partners at Keeper Productions (The Gone) and As I Am, we are proud to champion Eithne Verling's vision and Kate Mulgrew's passion for Galway and Connemara in this gripping new crime thriller."
