"The Liberties," a new Irish TV drama set in 19th century Dublin, is already being compared to hit BBC show "Peaky Blinders."
Judging by the slick proof-of-concept trailer for "The Liberties," this Irish TV series could be our next new favorite.
In a press release, producers for the project say "The Liberties" is a period drama with a modern edge - it's "Gangs of New York" meets "Peaky Blinders" set in 1815 Dublin.
The show will unfortunately not be hitting TV screens any time soon as a proof-of-concept trailer is generally created to establish if there's any interest in a project and to try and generate additional funding.
However, generating interest - and subsequently funding - in the show will not be a problem if the trailer is anything to go by.
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About "The Liberties"
"The Liberties" is set in 1815 Dublin. Following the failed Wolfe Tone uprising in 1798 and subsequent Act of Union, tensions have risen considerably between the Irish and their British counterparts. The Catholic Emancipation movement is gathering momentum and a young Daniel O’Connell is making his presence felt.
The new period piece sets out to tells the interconnected stories of three siblings from this little-seen period: William, Mary, and Pondersbury Kelly. Each is part of the landed gentry class who have ‘taken the soup’ - the previous generation of their family having converted to Protestantism to hold onto their land and title.
The proposed first season of "The Liberties" will focus on the legendary life of boxer Dan Donnelly and his links with the Kellys. His unlikely partnership with William leads to success that, again and again, neither man can hold onto for very long.
Peg Plunkett, the most infamous madam of the era, will also be introduced in the debut season. In a male-dominated society, William’s sister Mary becomes gradually affiliated with Peg’s business in an effort to wrestle back some autonomy and power for herself.
The titular “Liberties” area, where much of the show's action takes place, was gifted to the privileged classes of Irish society as a “liberty” of the Crown, where they could devise their own laws and regulate trade as they saw fit. But for the majority of the population, life was fought out in the dense warren of backstreets and alleyways for whatever gains could be made. In the 1810s, this place is desperate for any kind of hero.
Dan's Homecoming in "The Liberties" (Still courtesy of Greenhorn Films)
Production for "The Liberties"
Executive Producer Lauren McNicholas told IrishCentral: "In developing The Liberties as a TV drama we are really interested in looking at a period of Irish history that is often overlooked.
"Dublin in 1815 is dealing with the aftermath of the 1798 rebellions - it has lost its parliament and is now the second city in the British Empire - we want to know how that feels.
"Boxer Dan Donnelly, the young lawyer and politician Daniel O'Connell, aristocrat siblings Captain William and Mary Kelly and self-made business-woman and madam Peg Plunkett drive the series which will roll out over three seasons. These characters will be present in each season and each season will focus on a different aspect of life in Dublin: Season 1) The Ballad of Handsome Dan, season 2) The Oldest Profession and season 3) The Great Emancipator."
Created by Pierce Ryan (Black 47), Gary Duggan (Amber), and international commercials director Brian Durnin, "The Liberties" is being developed and exec produced by Laura McNicholas for 925 Productions, Simon Doyle for Failsafe Films and Brian Durnin for Greenhorn Films.
The cast in the proof of concept includes Moe Dunford (Dublin Murders), Lochlainn O’Mearain (Finding Joy), Catherine Walker (Versailles), Danielle Galligan (Shadow & Bone - Netflix), and Tadhg Murphy (Brassic).
The proof-of-concept trailer was directed by Brian Durnin from a script by Pierce Ryan and Jamie Hannigan and produced by Laura McNicholas, John Murnaghan, and Brian Durnin for Greenhorn Films and Gary Moore for Red Rage Films.
We certainly hope we see this on Irish screens as soon as possible.
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