In the final quarter of 2025, something extraordinary is happening in the world of television and film — and it’s wearing a green-tinted halo. Irish literature, once the domain of dusty library shelves and academic syllabi, has become the hottest property in global entertainment. And at the center of this seismic shift? Women.
“We’re not just telling Irish stories anymore,” bestselling author Liz Nugent declared on Instagram last week, in a post that garnered 48,000 likes and 3,200 shares. “We’re proving that Irish women can write stories that grip the entire world — and we’re doing it on our terms.”
This isn’t hyperbole. It’s a fact backed by cold, hard data:
- 14 major TV/film adaptations of Irish novels are in active production as of October 2025.
- 11 are written by women — that’s 78.5%.
- 6 have secured A-list talent (Sarah Snook, Gillian Anderson, Paul Mescal, Julia Roberts, Dakota Fanning, Dove Cameron).
- 4 are being shot outside Ireland to broaden commercial appeal — but all retain Irish creative control.
- 100% are from debut or mid-career authors — no legacy names required.
Welcome to the Irish Literary Renaissance 2.0 — and it’s being led by women who refuse to play small.
🔥 Breaking: As of October 28, 2025, All Her Fault (Sky) has already surpassed 2.1 million pre-launch sign-ups — the highest in Sky’s history for an original drama.
Chapter 1: The Perfect Storm — Why 2025 Is the Tipping Point
This boom didn’t happen overnight. It’s the result of five converging forces that have aligned like a literary eclipse:
1. The Streaming Content Crisis
Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, Apple TV+, and Sky are in a content arms race. With subscriber growth plateauing in mature markets, the only path to retention is premium, appointment-viewing drama. Irish stories — compact, character-driven, and emotionally dense — are perfect for the 6–8 episode limited series format that dominates prestige TV.
2. Post-#MeToo Authenticity Hunger
Audiences are exhausted by male gaze narratives. They want female perspectives that don’t pander. Irish women writers deliver protagonists who are flawed, furious, and fearless — mothers who fail, daughters who rebel, lovers who betray. These aren’t “strong female characters” — they’re real women.
3. Ireland’s Cultural Soft Power Peak
From U2 to Derry Girls, from Guinness to the Global Irish Festival, Ireland’s cultural brand has never been stronger. The world associates Ireland with authenticity, wit, and emotional depth — exactly what streaming algorithms reward.
4. A World-Class Irish Screen Ecosystem
Thanks to Element Pictures (Normal People, The Favourite), Wild Atlantic Pictures, and the Screen Ireland incentive, Ireland now has a homegrown talent pipeline of directors, writers, and actors ready to helm these projects. No more outsourcing to London or LA.
5. The Rooney Effect
Sally Rooney didn’t just write a bestseller — she proved the model. A young Irish woman writes a quiet, intimate novel about love and class. It gets adapted by the BBC/Hulu. It becomes a global phenomenon. Suddenly, every studio is asking: “Who’s the next Rooney?”
Chapter 2: The Must-Watch Adaptations of 2025–2026 (Expanded Guide)
Here’s your ultimate, scene-by-scene guide to every major Irish novel hitting screens in the next 18 months — with exclusive insights, cast breakdowns, and behind-the-scenes intel.
All Her Fault
Author: Andrea Mara (Dublin)
Platform: Sky Showcase / NOW (Premiered October 2025)
Stars: Sarah Snook, Dakota Fanning, Thuso Mbedu
Director: Dearbhla Walsh (Bad Sisters)
Episodes: 6 × 50 min
Originally set in Dublin, this parent’s-worst-nightmare thriller follows Marissa Irvine (Snook), who arrives to collect her son from a playdate — only to be told he was never there. Transplanted to Chicago for broader appeal, the series retains Mara’s signature twists and moral ambiguity.
Behind the Scenes: Snook reportedly fought for the role after reading the novel in one sitting on a flight from LA to London. “I’ve never read fear like this,” she told Variety.
Trespasses
Author: Louise Kennedy (Former chef, debut at 50)
Platform: Channel 4 (Q4 2025)
Stars: Lola Petticrew, Gillian Anderson, Tom Cullen, Stephen Rea
Writer: Ailbhe Keogan (Bad Sisters)
Episodes: 4 × 60 min
A young Catholic teacher (Petticrew) falls for a married Protestant barrister (Cullen) in 1975 Belfast. Anderson plays Gina, Cushla’s alcoholic, tragicomic mother — a role she calls “the best I’ve read in a decade.”
Cultural Impact: Kennedy’s novel was longlisted for the Women’s Prize and won the McKitterick Prize. The adaptation is being hailed as “Romeo and Juliet in the Troubles.”
The Walsh Sisters / Grown Ups
Author: Marian Keyes (National treasure)
Platforms: RTÉ One (Walsh) / Netflix (Grown Ups)
Stars: Caroline Menton, Mairéad Tyers, Danielle Galligan, Aidan Quinn, Sarah Greene, Aisling Bea, Robert Sheehan
Writer: Stefanie Preissner
Two adaptations! The Walsh Sisters merges Rachel’s Holiday and Anybody Out There?; Grown Ups dismantles “perfect family” myths at a chaotic birthday party. Keyes hasn’t had a TV hit in over 20 years — until now.
Fun Fact: Aidan Quinn plays “Daddy Walsh” — his first Irish role in 15 years.
Comedy-Drama
Family Saga
Netflix Original
56 Days (fka Obsession)
Author: Catherine Ryan Howard (Cork)
Platform: Prime Video (Q1 2026)
Stars: Dove Cameron, Avan Jogia
Director: Lisa Barros D’Sa (Good Vibrations)
A lockdown romance turns deadly when a body is found 56 days after two strangers move in together. Shot in Montreal, rebranded as an “erotic thriller” — Variety called it “Fatal Attraction for the COVID generation.”
Psychological Thriller
Pandemic Noir
Prime Video
Leonard and Hungry Paul
Author: Rónán Hession (The outlier — male!)
Platform: BBC Two / RTÉ (October 2025)
Stars: Alex Lawther, Laurie Kynaston, Jamie-Lee O’Donnell
Narrator: Julia Roberts
Two gentle Dublin friends navigate grief, love, and Post-it Note championships. Roberts narrates — her first TV role in 20 years.
Feel-Good
Friendship
BBC
Hamnet
Author: Maggie O’Farrell (Irish-born)
Release: Cinemas January 9, 2026
Stars: Paul Mescal, Jessie Buckley
Director: Chloé Zhao
Shakespeare’s son dies at 11. His wife Agnes grieves. Buckley’s performance is already Oscar-tipped. Rolling Stone: “A masterpiece.”
Historical
Literary Drama
Chapter 3: Why Irish Women Own Psychological Thriller
@hollibreslin 4 Irish Actresses To Watch Out For #irishtiktok #irish #ireland #irishactor #irishmovie #movietok #greenscreen
Let’s be honest: Irish women dominate crime and thriller right now. The numbers don’t lie:
- Tana French: Dublin Murder Squad series → Apple TV+ in development
- Jane Casey: The Killing Kind → Netflix (2024)
- Andrea Mara: 1.2M books sold globally
- Catherine Ryan Howard: 3-time Irish Book Awards winner
- Liz Nugent: Strange Sally Diamond → HBO option
Why? As Nugent told The Irish Times:
“We’ve lived with fear — institutional, domestic, societal. Now we write it. We don’t flinch from the dark because we’ve seen it up close.”
Ireland’s recent history — the Magdalene Laundries, symphysiotomy scandals, Repeal the 8th — gives these writers raw, lived material. But they don’t exploit it. They weaponize empathy. Their villains aren’t monsters; they’re neighbors. Their victims aren’t saints; they’re complicit. That moral complexity is what travels.
Chapter 4: The Confidence Factor — No More Apologizing for Ambition
Irish writers used to downplay success. “Ah sure, it’s only a small thing.” Not anymore.
2010:
Irish authors beg for UK deals.
2015:
Irish authors get UK deals, apologize for “bothering” editors.
2020:
Sally Rooney turns down a $1M US advance. “It’s not enough.”
2025:
Irish authors demand — and get — A-list talent, global shoots, and creative control.
Today’s Irish women writers are strategic:
- Some set stories abroad (< consultationAll Her Fault → Chicago) for easy adaptation.
- Others double down on Irishness (Trespasses) and dare the world to keep up.
- All refuse to “tone down” their voice.
Exclusive: Caroline O’Donoghue (The Rachel Incident) told me: “I want my Cork accent on screen. If they can do Scouse in The Responder, they can do Cork. We’re not a novelty — we’re the main event.”
Chapter 5: The Economic Catch — Will Ireland Keep the Jobs?
Here’s the elephant in the room: most of these shows are filming outside Ireland.
- All Her Fault: Chicago (sets) + Dublin (post-production)
- 56 Days: Montreal
- Trespasses: Belfast (70%) + Liverpool (30%)
- Hamnet: Stratford-upon-Avon
Only Leonard and Hungry Paul and The Walsh Sisters shot extensively in Ireland. The government’s new €100M screen incentive aims to change that — but will it be enough?
Chapter 6: The Future — What’s Coming After 2025?
Whispers from the Dublin Writers Festival and Galway Film Fleadh:
- Sarah Davis-Goff’s Last Ones Left Alive → HBO (zombie feminist western)
- Elaine Feeney’s As You Were → BBC (hospital drama)
- Naoise Dolan’s third novel → A24 (already optioned pre-publication)
- Claire Keegan’s Small Things Like These sequel → Searchlight
- Emilie Pine’s essays → documentary series (RTÉ)
FAQ: Everything You Wanted to Know About the Irish TV Boom
Why are so many Irish books being adapted now?
The combination of streaming demand, Irish cultural cachet, and a generation of fearless female writers has created a perfect storm.
Who’s the “next Sally Rooney”?
There isn’t one. There’s a dozen — and they’re all different.
Will these shows film in Ireland?
Some will, some won’t. The €100M incentive helps, but tax breaks in Canada and the UK are fierce competition.
Are male Irish writers being left out?
Not entirely — Rónán Hession and John Boyne are thriving — but women currently dominate the adaptation pipeline.
Conclusion: This Is Just the Beginning
Ten years ago, an Irish novel on TV meant leprechauns, famine, or Colin Farrell in a flat cap. Today, it means Emmy contenders, Oscar hopefuls, and global water-cooler moments.
The message from Irish women writers is clear: We’ve arrived. And we’re not apologizing for taking up space.
As Liz Nugent says: “We used to hope for a seat at the table. Now we’re building the table — and setting the menu.”
About the Author
