The Murder of Mr Moonlight: RTÉ One Cast and Air Date
The Murder of Mr Moonlight will be shown on RTÉ in 2027, with RTÉ One and RTÉ Player named as its homes, but as of Tuesday 6 October 2026 no start date, night or time has been announced. RTÉ Player is free to use in Ireland, and the five-part drama stars Brendan Coyle as Bobby Ryan, the Tipperary DJ whose murder led to a conviction in 2019.
- Air date: 2027 on RTÉ. The day and month are not confirmed.
- Cast: Brendan Coyle, Sinéad Keenan and Owen McDonnell lead a list of 12 names.
- Length: five episodes of about an hour each.
- Source: Catherine Fegan's book of the same name, plus the producers' own research and interviews.
Is The Murder of Mr Moonlight confirmed for RTÉ One?
Yes. RTÉ announced the commission on Friday 4 September 2026, and the last line of that statement says transmission details on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player will follow in due course. So the channel is settled even though the slot isn't.
RTÉ made the drama in association with the BBC and Screen Ireland, and it counts towards the 160 hours of Irish drama RTÉ says it has lined up. One small thing if you are searching for it: RTÉ writes the title with a full stop, as The Murder of Mr. Moonlight. Fegan's book has none.
When does The Murder of Mr Moonlight air?
In 2027, and that is as far as RTÉ has gone. The September statement gives the year twice and nothing narrower. We searched RTÉ's press pages again on Tuesday 6 October and found no later release about the series.
That puts it in the same queue as Kin series 3, which RTÉ has also pencilled in for 2027 without a month. The autumn 2026 dramas are a different matter: Tall Tales & Murder and The Galway Bay Murders each have a page of their own here.
| What | Status on Tuesday 6 October 2026 |
|---|---|
| Year | 2027 (RTÉ) |
| Channel | RTÉ One |
| Start date, night and time | Not confirmed |
| RTÉ Player | Named by RTÉ; upload date not confirmed |
| Episodes | 5, about 60 minutes each |
Who is in the cast?
RTÉ's statement names 12 actors and five of the roles. The spellings and character names below are RTÉ's.
| Actor | Role | Known for (per RTÉ) |
|---|---|---|
| Brendan Coyle | Bobby Ryan | Downton Abbey, Toxic Town |
| Sinéad Keenan | Mary Lowry | Unforgotten, Little Boy Blue |
| Owen McDonnell | Patrick Quirke | Killing Eve, Bad Sisters |
| Hazel Doupe | Michelle Ryan, Bobby's daughter | Say Nothing, Smother |
| Carolyn Bracken | Imelda Quirke, Pat's wife | Oddity, The Gone |
| Ian Lloyd Anderson | Not named | Love/Hate, Blood |
| Danny Power | Not named | The Young Offenders |
| Helena Browne | Not named | Leonard and Hungry Paul |
| Muiris Crowley | Not named | Foundation |
| Aidan O'Hare | Not named | Bad Sisters |
| Emmet Byrne | Not named | Alex Rider, Striking Out |
| Pom Boyd | Not named | The Dry, Frank of Ireland |
Seven of the 12 have no character attached yet. We'll fill those cells when RTÉ does, and not before.
How many episodes are there?
Five. RTÉ lists the series as five episodes of 60 minutes, and Joe.ie's report on the announcement gives the same count. Nothing has been said about whether they will go out weekly or closer together.
Where can you watch it in Ireland?
On RTÉ One when it is broadcast and on RTÉ Player for catch-up; those are the two places RTÉ names. RTÉ Player costs nothing to use. Whether all five episodes land there at once is not something RTÉ has addressed.
If you're in Northern Ireland, RTÉ says the BBC has acquired the series for BBC One and BBC iPlayer, and no BBC date has been given.
Is The Murder of Mr Moonlight based on a true story?
It is. Bobby Ryan worked as a DJ under the name Mr Moonlight. He went missing on 3 June 2011, and his body was found in April 2013 on a farm at Fawnagowan in Co. Tipperary.
Patrick Quirke, a Tipperary farmer, pleaded not guilty. A Central Criminal Court jury convicted him of the murder in 2019 by a majority of 10 to 2, and he is serving a life sentence. The Court of Appeal dismissed his appeal in November 2021. On 28 July 2023 seven Supreme Court judges unanimously dismissed a further appeal and affirmed the conviction, as RTÉ News and The Journal both reported that day.
How the drama handles those events is unknown until it airs. The producers say in RTÉ's statement that they want Bobby Ryan remembered as a father, grandfather and friend, and that they spoke to people connected to the case. We haven't seen any of it, so this page sticks to the court record.
Who wrote and directed it?
Malcolm Campbell adapted the story for television and shares the writing with Meadhbh McHugh and Paul Howard. Dathaí Keane and Rachel Carey direct. Conker Pictures, part of Banijay UK, produces with Samson Films, and Banijay Rights sells the series abroad. RTÉ also describes it as the first chapter in a possible run of dramas about true stories from modern Ireland, which is a hope, not a commission.
Until a date arrives, the weekly RTÉ fixtures are easier to plan around: The Late Late Show guests on Fridays and Fair City through the week, with the other soaps laid out in our soaps by night guide. Further ahead sit the Late Late Toy Show in December and Dancing with the Stars Ireland in the new year.
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FAQ
Who plays Bobby Ryan?
Brendan Coyle, according to RTÉ's cast announcement.
Is there a trailer?
RTÉ's announcement came without one, and we found none on RTÉ's press pages on Tuesday 6 October.
Is the drama taken from a book?
Yes. RTÉ says it is based on Catherine Fegan's book The Murder of Mr Moonlight, together with research and interviews.
Sources
- RTÉ Communications: new drama The Murder of Mr. Moonlight (4 September 2026): cast, 2027, five episodes, RTÉ One and RTÉ Player
- Joe.ie: report on the RTÉ announcement: cast, five one-hour episodes, 2027
- RTÉ News (28 July 2023): Supreme Court dismisses appeal, life sentence
- The Journal (28 July 2023): 2019 conviction, majority verdict, Court of Appeal ruling in November 2021