Stars hit town with murder in mind!
There was a Hollywood buzz around the Pálás on Tuesday evening as the Galway Bay Murders cast returned to town for a special screening and Q&A celebrating the launch of the crime thriller.
Series stars Kate Mulgrew, John Connors, Clinton Liberty and Jack Rowan joined writer Eithne Verling, producers and around 120 guests – including Mayor of Galway Cllr Helen Ogbu; RTÉ Director-General Kevin Bakhurst, and TG4 Ard-Stiúrthóir Deirdre Ní Choistín – for a screening and Q&A at the Pálás.
The thriller, set in Connemara, centres on a murder linked to climate activism. New York detective Nora Savage’s investigation brings her into conflict with a powerful environmental magnate, putting those closest to her at risk.
The reunion brought together people who had spent 55 demanding days filming in Galway and Connemara, often at the mercy of the weather.
More than €6 million was spent in the region during production – and the welcome from locals, the sense of family on set and the craic they shared were recurring themes.
Connors said the local drivers lifted spirits during long days. Getting into a car with one of them could mean “the best craic”.
“The people were salt of the earth, the most welcoming people. They were the engine of the whole production for me,” he said. He recalled cast and crew laughing until tears came to Mulgrew’s eyes, even before intense scenes. He described her as “kind of an acting soulmate”.
The Q&A also explored the emotion at the centre of the series. Mulgrew said she had asked Verling whether they could examine a woman’s grief without betraying her strength or soul. Nora has lost her only child, and that loss drives her.
Verling was visibly moved by the audience’s response. “I’m bursting. It’s so amazing. It’s magic,” she said.
Executive producer Stephen Wright praised her writing: “She writes with love.”
Mulgrew spoke of her connection to Galway. “There is no place that speaks to me on earth like this place,” she said.
For Clinton Liberty, returning to Connemara as an actor was “a really beautiful journey”. He first came to the area as a student on an Irish-language college scholarship.
Jack Rowan spoke about learning Irish for his role, working with a voice teacher and writing the lines phonetically. His father is Irish, he said, but he had not been taught the language growing up.
“Once I knew how to say it, it was a real joy,” he said.