*Niamh Walsh as Jenny, Dervla Kirwan as Val, Seána Kerslake as Grace, and Gemma Leah Devereux as Anna.

A noir thriller set in Lahinch is to hit screens across the country next week.

Smother will begin airing on RTÉ ONE in the coveted 9:30pm Sunday slot from March 7th. Written by Cork’s Kate O’Riordan who helped to pen Mr Selfridge, the thriller stars Dervla Kirwan and Seána Kerslake.

Kirwan plays family matriarch Val Ahern, a devoted mother who is determined to protect her family and particularly her three daughters Jenny, Anna, and Grace, at any cost. Jenny is a heavily pregnant single doctor, unsure of the choices she has made, played by Niamh Walsh (Good Omens, Jamestown).

Grace, played by Kerslake (Can’t Cope, Won’t Cope, The Hole in the Ground), is an angry but fragile young woman struggling with mental health issues. Anna is a devoted stepmother to two teenage boys, whose birth mother has recently reappeared on the scene, played by Gemma-Leah Devereux (Judy, The Tudors).

When Val Ahern’s husband Denis, played by Stuart Graham (The Cure, Hunger), is found dead at a foot of a cliff close to their home the morning after a family party, Val begins to interrogate the events that unfolded the night before.

Val explores Denis’s relationships with his children, stepchildren, and his siblings in order to find out who might have been responsible for his brutal, shocking death. The deeper Val delves into her family’s secrets, the more she realises how her late husband’s controlling, manipulative behaviour had a deep effect on each member of the family.

The cast also includes Thomas Levin (Borgen), Hilary Rose (The Young Offenders) and Justine Mitchell (Cheat).

Related News

REPRO-FREE-Wolfe-Tones-na-Sionna-chairman-Mike-Riordan-with-players-Aaron-Cunningham-and-Aron-Shanagher-club-secretary-Amanda-Hogan-and-H-e1498060076514
Limerick men plead guilty to roles in €1m crime spree across Clare, Galway & their native county
frances street kilrush 1
Mother & teenage son plead guilty to Kilrush knife attack
sheep wind turbine
Killaloe dog owner (78) agrees to pay €4k in compensation to farmer over killing of eight sheep
SONY DSC
Boy (14) appears in court in connection with spate of car thefts in Scariff & Gort
Latest News
clonlara v inagh kilnamona 06-07-25 john conlon neil o'brien 1
Draws made for Clare Cup groups
brian mcnamara
Brian Mc & Tristan bid for Sigerson glory with UL
clare v down 08-02-26 john conlon senan dunford conor cleary 1
Clare player ratings vs Down: Dream debut for Dunford with Malone & O'Farrell strong attacking options from defence
frances street kilrush 1
Mother & teenage son plead guilty to Kilrush knife attack
sheep wind turbine
Killaloe dog owner (78) agrees to pay €4k in compensation to farmer over killing of eight sheep
Premium
Mother & teenage son plead guilty to Kilrush knife attack
Killaloe dog owner (78) agrees to pay €4k in compensation to farmer over killing of eight sheep
Clare 'a step above' all teams in Division 1B says Down boss Sheehan
Boy (14) appears in court in connection with spate of car thefts in Scariff & Gort
Dromoland Castle get green light for first phase of 'Ryder Cup inspired' multi-million euro upgrade

Subscribe for just €3 per month

If you’re here, you care about County Clare. So do we. Did you rely on us for Covid-19 updates, follow our election coverage, or visit The Clare Echo every week for breaking news and sport? The Clare Echo invests in local journalism and we want to safeguard its future in our county. By becoming a subscriber you are supporting what we do, will receive access to all our premium articles and a better experience, while helping us improve our offering to you. Subscribe to clareecho.ie and get the first six months for just €3 a month (less than 75c per week), and thereafter €8 per month. Cancel anytime, limited time offer. T&Cs Apply. www.clareecho.ie.