BBC thrills with 6-part Irish crime drama that's hailed as 'gripping from beginning to end'

Ireland has produced several incredible crime shows over the years, including the likes of Smother and Love/Hate, and BBC 4 is set to air another hit.

On Saturday night, the network will broadcast the first two episodes of six-part drama Blackshore, fans can currently stream the entire series on BBC iPlayer. The series follows DI Fia Lucey as she returns to her hometown to investigate the disappearance of a local woman.

The synopsis reads: "A Dublin detective, Fia, is sent to a rural backwater close to her hometown in the west of Ireland. She must investigate the disappearance of a woman against the backdrop of a similar case many years ago that ended with Fia's father murdering the rest of Fia's family."

The series first aired back in 2024 on Irish network RTE, and it has been incredibly well-received by fans and critics alike. However, despite winning an IFTA, there has been no news on whether the show will be returning for a second season.

Reception

One viewer enthused: "Irish Noir that is gripping from beginning to end. If you like Shetland or Scandi Noirs, this is the perfect follow up. Gripping from beginning to end, bingeworthy with plenty of cliffhangers and a brilliant lead! Rough around the edges with a past as any proper Detective or DI and then some, they couldn't have found a better actress for this character."

A second commented: "Episodes one and two were decent enough, it turns up a couple of notches in episode three, and just gets better and better, it truly turns into a fairly captivating show. A very effective whodunnit, you're made to wait to learn the truth, my focus moved from person to person with every episode, I got it wrong."

© CREDIT LINE:BBC/BBC Studios/Treasure Entertainment/River Pictures/Madeline Mulqueen

Meanwhile, a third said: "Excellent acting from top to bottom and an excellent first five episodes," while a fourth added: "This is an enjoyable series that's definitely worth watching. Lisa Dwan delivers a great performance and looks fantastic in the show, and the general cast are very good too."

This extended to its critical reception, with a review in Decider reading: "Blackshore is an entertaining-enough small-town mystery procedural, with an intense performance by Lisa Dwan. But there's nothing about it we haven't seen in other shows from the past few months."

Who stars in Blackshore?

The series is led by Lisa Dwan (Top Boy) as DI Fia Lucey, and she's joined by Rory Keenan (Peaky Blinders) as Cian Furlong, Jade Jordan (The Colour Between) as Donna Walsh and Amy De Bhrún (Line of Duty) as Niamh Furlong.

© CREDIT LINE:BBC/BBC Studios/Treasure Entertainment/River Pictures/Martin Maguire

Rounding out the cast are Stanley Townsend (Andor) as Bill McGuire, Andrew Bennett (The Quiet Girl) as Donal Riley, Aidan McArdle (The Trial of Christine Keeler) as Charlie Reid, Barry McGovern (Game of Thrones) as Dr. Whelan and Dara Devaney (Monster) as Liam McArdle.

The first two episodes of Blackshore air at 21:00pm on BBC 4 on 17 January.