Laugh out loud with new comedy set in Dublin

With filming locations stretching from Dublin city centre and up along the coast to Malahide, Frank of Ireland is tipped to follow in the comedy footsteps of the likes of Father Ted, Catastrophe and Derry Girls.

Described as “a physical and ridiculous brand of humour with an original twist”, the hilarious six-part series follows the exploits of struggling ‘manchild’ musician Frank Marron, a 32-year-old still living at home with his mother, and his ill-conceived attempts at earning the world’s respect. 

The show is the brainchild of brothers and co-writers Brian and Domnhall Gleeson – sons of acting legend Brendan Gleeson – who star alongside a who’s who of Irish film and TV talent. 

Sarah Greene, who played Connell’s mother in the smash hit drama Normal People, also stars as Frank’s ex-girlfriend Áine, while Pom Boyd as Frank’s mother, Liz Fitzgibbon who plays Nicola and Tom Vaughan-Lawlor as Peter-Brian round out the regular supporting cast.

The sitcom is produced by Catastrophe star and co-creator Sharon Horgan, and Clelia Mountford.

The brothers came up with the idea and wrote the screenplay together with Domhnall’s childhood friend Michael Moloney.

Many of the exterior film locations feature north County Dublin, where the Gleesons grew up. Long noted for its stunning coastline, blue flag beaches, glorious cliff walks, gourmet hideouts and buzzing seaside villages, including Malahide, Howth and Portmarnock, the area is one of the best places for a day trip when in the Irish capital.

Filming also took place around Dublin’s famous cultural hub, Temple Bar, as well as in Belfast. 
 
In the madcap opening episode, Frank discovers Áine has a new man, who happens to be a mixed martial arts expert. In an effort to impress her, he decides to try his luck fighting in a cage. He then gets a gig singing at her grandmother’s wake, despite having not written a new song or performed in years. 

Frank of Ireland is quite the Irish family affair, with a third Gleeson brother providing his singing voice for one of the characters and Brendan Gleeson himself, well-known for his roles in the Harry Potter films and the likes of Braveheart and Gangs of New York,  popping up in a cameo role later in the show.

The series kicked off on Channel 4 in the UK on 15 April, and will air weekly with the full six episodes available to watch on All4 now. It also available to stream on Amazon Prime Video now.

www.ireland.com