The Irish series that will make you die laughing (and nine more shows from the Emerald Isle that you can watch on streaming platforms)

BarcelonaLately, streaming platforms have been offering a good number of series set in Ireland. Some deal with the Northern Ireland conflict, while in others it's just a distant memory. This week sees the premiere of two new Irish-themed series of very different natures: one is a hilarious dark comedy set in the present day, while the other is a historical drama with the Northern Ireland conflict as its backdrop. In addition to these two fictional series, we'll review the other shows that transport us to the Emerald Isle and are currently available on streaming platforms.

One of this week's standout premieres is this dark comedy with its rapid-fire dialogue and absurd, surreal situations. The protagonists are three friends who receive the news that a fourth member of their group, with whom they haven't been in contact for some time, has died. Upon arriving at the wake, they begin to suspect that their friend may not have actually died and embark on a wacky mission to uncover the truth. The Northern Irish conflict only makes a passing appearance, through the characters' jokes. The series creator, Lisa McGee, also responsible for Derry Girls, has described her show as an "Irish odyssey" that combines her two favorite genres: comedy and mystery.

One of this week's standout new releases is a story of forbidden love set in 1970s Ireland, one of the darkest periods of the conflict. Cushla, a Catholic schoolteacher, falls in love with a married Protestant lawyer who is controversial for defending young Catholics accused of violence. The miniseries portrays the constant terror surrounding the couple, trapped in a love that has all the ingredients for a tragic end in a Northern Ireland marked by violence and suspicion. It is an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Louise Kennedy.

How to Get to Heaven from Belfast owes much to Derry GirlsThe previous series by its creator, Lisa McGee. In this comedy, the protagonists are a group of teenagers living in Northern Ireland in the 1990s, when the conflict was still simmering. However, the bombings and violence aren't the focus of their lives, but rather the normal concerns of any teenager. Hilarious and frenetic.

Dark comedy is also the genre of this Apple TV+ series developed by Sharon Horgan, one of Ireland's most prolific screenwriters. Based on a Belgian series, it follows the misadventures of five sisters after the unexpected death of one of their husbands, a man the entire family detested. Death, sisterhood, and dark humor. The series, which has two seasons, received Emmy nominations for best writing and best actress (for Horgan, who also stars).

Is it possible to talk about the Northern Irish conflict through a romantic comedy? The Lovers It proves that it does. Seamus (Johnny Flynn) is a somewhat conceited English journalist who travels to Belfast to film a television program. There he meets Janet (Roisin Gallagher), a supermarket clerk who seems to have no will to live, a straightforward woman who quickly brings him back down to earth. The connection between them is so strong that they consider having an affair, even though they know they have nothing in common and that he has a partner. Over the course of their relationship, the emotional scars that terrorism has left on both of them will come to light. The lead actress also stars in "How to Get to Heaven from Belfast"

Blue Lights It focuses on the criminal underworld of Northern Ireland 25 years after the Good Friday Agreement, which led the Provisional IRA to abandon its armed activities and initiated the peace process in the territory. The consequences of the conflict are still very much present in the daily lives of Northern Irish people, and three rookie police officers in Belfast will experience this firsthand. A series that has been compared to "Line of Duty"and that has a strong social character."

Probably the most famous and media-savvy Irish writer of recent years is Sally Rooney. Her best-known book, "Normal People"," was adapted to unanimous critical acclaim and launched the careers of Paul Mescal and Daisy Edgar-Jones. Marianne and Connell meet in high school and, despite coming from very different backgrounds, begin an on-again, off-again love story that endures. A love that marks a turning point in their lives.

Lola Petticrew, the actress who now stars in "Derry Girls", became known through the television adaptation of Patrick Radden Keefe's book – translated into Catalan as "No diguis res"By Periscope—about the disappearance of a mother from a large family during the armed conflict. In parallel, it delves into the story of one of the most prominent members of the IRA, Dolours Price, a young woman who went from pacifist activism to armed struggle."

One of Ireland's popular symbols is Guinness beer. The creator of "Peaky Blinders"The Guinness Story," directed by Steven Knight, delves into the inner workings of the family that built the brewery and made its product known worldwide. Set in 1860, the series begins with the death of Benjamin Guinness, the brewery's owner. His death plays a significant role in the destinies of his four children: Arthur (Anthony Boyle), the eldest; Edward (Louis Partridge), the most responsible; Anne (Emily Fairn), often undervalued; and Ben (Fionn O'Shea), who struggles with alcoholism. In addition to the family intrigues, the series explores the social and political context of the era through the rise of the Irish independence movement.

Probably the least successful of the ten proposals, this series follows in the footsteps of a podcaster specializing in "true crime"She travels to Ireland to investigate a crime with the help of a journalist. The story blends unsettling characters, dark humor, and a touch of horror, along with a handful of Irish stereotypes, such as disturbing nuns."