

6.390 minSeason 1 • Episode 3
LatestQuirke and Phoebe expose an ugly secret as they search for Phoebe's missing friend.
Quirke is the chief pathologist in the Dublin city morgue – a charismatic loner whose job takes him into fascinating places as he investigates sudden deaths in 1950s Dublin. His pleasures in life are raw and deep, a drink, a smoke, good food, a woman: With one woman in particular – his adoptive brother's wife Sarah and the forbidden love that has shaped and dominated Quirke's life.
Acting
Gabriel Byrne's hangdog charisma carries every scene he's in.
Production
Gorgeous 1950s Dublin recreated with cigarette smoke and mahogany.
Writing
Andrew Davies adapting John Banville — literary prestige TV.
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Based on novels by John Banville writing as Benjamin Black; Banville famously called crime fiction 'cheap fiction' before writing these.
The series quietly dramatizes Ireland's Magdalene laundries and mother-and-baby homes, institutions only formally apologized for in 2013.