'I was not good at Irish': Alex Murphy on Crá, the series watched in 68 countries
It's the little Irish-language series set in a local parish as it aimed to unravel a troubling and mysterious death. Now Irish crime drama Crá has become a global sensation with audiences - after being snapped up by TV networks and streamers in no fewer than 68 countries.
Among the international broadcasters showing the series are BBC, high-profile French channel ARTÉ and the AMC/Acorn TV networks in the US.
Crá's growing international appeal has come as welcome news to its cast and crew - including Cork actor Alex Murphy, who brushed up on his Irish to take on his first-ever Irish-language role.
'I did not anticipate the success of the show - I was just delighted with the opportunity to get back into a bit of Irish and connect to my roots,' says the actor, best known for his role as Conor in The Young Offenders, the latest series of which is currently filming in Cork. 'Then it came out, and I saw just how good it was and how well it was put together, and to hear it's doing well all around the world, and being sold all around the world is just amazing - our little language spreading. We love to see it.'
Alex Murphy in Crá.
With the Irish language at the forefront of a cultural drive among artists, filmmakers and musicians, the success of films like the Oscar-nominated An Cailín Ciúin and Belfast rapper movie Kneecap has also help drive interest internationally, with several other films and series as Gaeilge coming to our screens.
It means that actors like Murphy are embracing the opportunity to work in Irish for the first time. 'It's amazing. I feel like there was maybe a dark patch in the Irish language that it was definitely considered untrendy, or some people would consider it dead. In recent years, to see that that just isn't the case is really exciting. I've got younger cousins in school and their automatic reaction isn't that they hate learning Irish. They're excited by it, and it's because of these great films and bands speaking the language, driving it forward.
'I was not good at Irish in school,' says Murphy, adding that working in the language presented challenges. 'I did pass Irish for my Leaving Cert and I was very nervous to take on the job. I knew I had a few months to prepare, so I just knuckled down and did the best I could. [Actor and teacher] Peadar Cox was on to me every week, doing classes and going over lines. I just quickly found for me, and I imagine a lot of kids in school would maybe resonate with this: because my passion is acting, when I knew that I could learn the language through my passion, it just came to me a lot easier.
'Right now, my Irish is the best it's ever been, and I'm continuing to keep it going. I think half the battle is confidence. You go in nervous, you have little brain-farts, and you buckle and you can't say anything. And so it's when you get a bit of confidence speaking it is when it becomes quite enjoyable.'
Crá is filmed in Gweedore.
Shot on location in Gweedore in Co Donegal, Crá tells the story of Garda Conall Ó Súilleabháin (Dónall Ó Héalaí, who previously starred in the award-winning famine-set drama, Arracht). He's thrust into a deeply personal case when the body of his mother, Sabine, is discovered 15 years after she vanished. Forbidden from taking part in the official investigation, Conall joins forces with Ciara-Kate (newcomer Hannah Brady), a journalist using her true crime podcast to get to the heart of the case - and the village dark secrets that harbour it. As the first series goes global, the producers and broadcasters are now hoping to begin filming a second season in early 2026.
Ó Héalaí, who recently completed filming the US indie thriller After, is a native Irish speaker who embraced the chance to work as Gaeilge, having previously done so on the powerful drama Arracht.
That Crá is now available to audiences in 68 countries and streaming platforms is a bonus, he says. 'For us, an Irish language series in Gweedore, we're delighted to have that reach. I can't believe it's found an audience that wide.
'It's hard not to think that things like An Cailín Ciúin and Kneecap have had a role to play in how Irish language films and series are received internationally. Both those films really got out there, and rightly so, and I think it's very inspiring to see that. In terms of Crá, or Boglands as it's known overseas, it's hard not to think that this has a little part to play in it.'
As an Irish speaker, he feels particularly glad at the impact Irish screen storytelling is having both with audiences at home and internationally. 'I'm definitely proud of where the Irish-language, film and television industry currently is in terms of how it's broken through. I feel fortunate to have come up at a time with schemes like Cine4.'
The Cine4 initiative, a TG4, Fís Éireann (Screen Ireland) and Coimisiún na Meán partnership to develop original feature films in the Irish language, has proved a smart driving force. The widely loved An Cailín Ciúin, adapted from Claire Keegan's story Foster, made it all the way to the Oscars, with Colm Bairéad's drama getting a nomination in the Best International Feature category. It was also a big commercial success with cinemagoers in Ireland and internationally.
Dónall Ó Héalaí in Crá.
Films supported by Cine4 include Famine-set drama Arracht and the charming Róise & Frank,about a grieving woman who believes a dog who arrives at her home is connected to the recent death of her husband. Other films backed by the project include recent horror release Fréwaka and the forthcoming dramas An Fidil Ghorm and Báite.
'There were decisions made that allowed for this wave of new filmmaking to emerge,' says Ó Héalai. 'I think the success of a film or a series, it's largely from the top down. We had a terrific team and obviously, the story itself, the writers had created a real local thriller in a small town, a great whodunnit.
'Gweedore itself is such an incredible place, and so many people have commented on the landscape of the show - it's a central character to the show. Whether it's in Irish or in French or in English or in Japanese, if a story is good enough, it'll get people to want to watch it. Ultimately the story itself is compelling enough to bring audiences in.'
Crá is available to view on the TG4 Player
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