THESE SACRED VOWS prems Feb 1
RTÉ has unveiled the full trailer for THESE SACRED VOWS, a darkly comic new series that promises to dissect an Irish wedding weekend gone catastrophically wrong. Written and directed by John Butler, the award-winning Irish screenwriter behind HANDSOME DEVIL and PAPI CHULO, the six-part comedy-drama arrives on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player on February 1st, 2026, bringing with it a murder mystery wrapped in family dysfunction and holiday chaos.
The premise is immediately gripping: the morning after an Irish wedding on a sun-drenched Spanish island, the body of a priest is discovered floating face-down in the swimming pool of the young guests’ villa. What unfolds is not a straightforward whodunit but rather a fractured narrative that jumps backward through the wild week leading up to the tragedy, with each episode offering a fresh perspective from a different character. It’s a structure that promises both revelation and misdirection, allowing viewers to piece together what really happened while experiencing the escalating tensions, secrets, and bad decisions that culminated in death.
The cast reads like a who’s who of contemporary Irish screen talent. Tom Vaughan-Lawlor, known for his menacing turn in LOVE/HATE and his appearance in AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR and AVENGERS: ENDGAME, plays the ill-fated Fr. Vincent, while Justine Mitchell, memorable from DERRY GIRLS and SMOTHER, takes on the role of Sandra, the mother of the bride navigating what should be the happiest week of her daughter’s life. Jason O’Mara, whose credits include AGENTS OF SHIELD and THE MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE, plays Jerry, the father of the bride, presumably dealing with his own set of complications as the wedding week spirals. India Mullen, who made strong impressions in NORMAL PEOPLE and SAY NOTHING, appears as Ava, one of the wedding party guests whose perspective will help unravel the mystery.
The ensemble extends beyond these central figures to include Adam John Richardson from THE DRY, Aaron Heffernan from BRASSIC, and Mark O’Halloran, the acclaimed writer and actor behind ADAM & PAUL and GARAGE. Comedians Shane Daniel Byrne and Catherine Bohart round out the cast, suggesting the series will lean into its comedic elements even as it grapples with darker themes. Newcomer Isolt Caffrey makes her debut as Karen, one of several characters whose version of events will shape our understanding of the tragedy.
Butler’s vision for THESE SACRED VOWS appears to be an exploration of how truth is subjective, filtered through personal biases, selective memory, and self-preservation. By revisiting the same week multiple times from different vantage points, the series can peel back layers of deception and misunderstanding while also finding humor in the absurdity of destination weddings, family obligations, and the particular brand of chaos that emerges when people are removed from their daily lives and thrust into an unfamiliar setting with an open bar and high expectations. The Spanish island setting provides both gorgeous scenery and a pressure-cooker environment where tensions simmer under the Mediterranean sun.
The production represents a collaboration between RTÉ, Banijay Rights, and Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland, with Rob Walpole and Rebecca O’Flanagan producing for Treasure Entertainment. Executive producers include RTÉ’s Head of Drama David Crean and Director of Acquisitions and Co-Productions Dermot Horan, alongside Cathy Payne and Simon Cox for Banijay Rights and Kate McColgan for Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland. The involvement of Banijay Rights suggests the series has international ambitions beyond its RTÉ debut, positioning it to reach audiences who have developed an appetite for Irish storytelling through hits like NORMAL PEOPLE, BAD SISTERS, and DERRY GIRLS.
With its blend of mystery, comedy, and ensemble drama, THESE SACRED VOWS looks set to offer something fresh in the crowded landscape of prestige television. The wedding setting provides built-in drama, while the murder mystery gives structure and propulsion to what might otherwise be a more meandering character study. Butler’s track record suggests he’ll find both heart and humor in even the darkest moments, and the cast has the range to navigate tonal shifts between farce and tragedy. Whether the series can stick its landing across six episodes remains to be seen, but the ingredients are certainly promising for anyone looking for their next binge-worthy obsession when it arrives this February.
A priest. A pool. A Spanish island. And one very dead body. 🏊♂️☠️
THESE SACRED VOWS hits RTÉ One on February 1st, and this wedding weekend mystery is about to become your next obsession.
Newly released trailer now at irishfilmtv.com.
Killarney`s own Jessie Buckley just took home the Critics Choice Award for Best Actress for HAMNET, and her acceptance speech was pure gold 🏆✨
In HAMNET, Buckley delivers a devastating performance as Agnes, William Shakespeare`s wife, navigating the grief of losing their 11-year-old son. Critics are calling it unforgettable, and now she has the trophy to prove it 🎬💚
More Jessie at irishfilmtv.com.
HAMNET star Jessie Buckley shines in BEAST, now on #Netflix.
A troubled woman living in an isolated community finds herself pulled between the control of her oppressive family and the allure of a secretive outsider suspected of a series of brutal murders.
More at irishfilmtv.com.
🕺✨ DANCING WITH THE STARS IRELAND is back for S9 tonight!
Get ready for spray tans, sequins, and Sunday night sparkle because Ireland`s favourite winter escape is almost here. Who`s ready to vote their faves to victory? 💃
More at irishfilmtv.com.
** Now on Netflix **
RUN AWAY brings Harlan Coben back to form with James Nesbitt doing what he does best—playing a tormented father searching for his missing daughter against all advice.
More at irishfilmtv.com.
By order of the Peaky Blinders, Merry Christmas!
A teaser for the new film PEAKY BLINDERS: THE IMMORTAL MAN just dropped, and it features Cillian Murphy’s gangster Tommy Shelby returning to his old ways despite leaving them all behind at the end of the TV series.
Watch now at irishfilmtv.com.
Domhnall Gleeson heads to a remote Scottish isle for THE INCOMER!
He plays an awkward council worker tasked with relocating two siblings who survive by hunting seabirds, talking to mythical beings, and fiercely defending their homeland from outsiders.
More Domhnall at irishfilmtv.com.
Andrew Scott is bringing one of theater`s most powerful true stories to life.
The ALL OF US STRANGERS star will portray Scottish actor Ian Charleson in ELSINORE, chronicling Charleson`s breathtaking final performance as Hamlet at London`s National Theatre before his death in 1990 at age 40.
More via irishfilmtv.com.
Belfast-born Ciaran Hinds shines in Bradley Copper`s IS THIS THING ON?
With Hinds, you`re not just getting an actor. You`re getting decades of gravitas, warmth, and that rare ability to make every scene feel like it matters. From prestige drama to fantasy epics, he`s built a career on understated brilliance. And now? He`s ready to find the humor in heartbreak.
More Ciaran at irishfilmtv.com.
Gothic drama LIES WE TELL is now on Netflix.
With powerful performances by Agnes O`Casey and David Wilmot, the Irish drama takes Sheridan Le Fanu`s classic novel UNCLE SILAS and transforms it into something urgent and vital for our moment.
More at irishfilmtv.com.
When Colin Farrell and Jessie Buckley finally sat down together, they were strangers—but within moments, the conversation became profound.
Both Irish actors are carrying the weight of devastating roles this year: Farrell as a gambling addict spiraling in Macau in BALLAD OF A SMALL PLAYER, Buckley as Agnes Shakespeare grieving her son in HAMNET.
Watch now at irishfilmtv.com.
From FAIR CITY to KNIVES OUT! Daryl McCormack shines in the new #netflix film WAKE UP DEAD MAN.
McCormack just wrapped Netflix`s PRIDE AND PREJUDICE opposite Jack Lowden, Emma Corrin, and Olivia Colman. Talk about range: trading viral grift for Jane Austen elegance. Same actor, different century, wildly different moral compass.
More Daryl at irishfilmtv.com.
Eve Hewson brings ghosts to life in Noah Baumbach`s JAY KELLY.
From her breakout in THIS MUST BE THE PLACE to BAD SISTERS and beyond, she`s now haunting George Clooney as Daphne—a face from the past that forces a movie star to confront who he became while chasing fame.
More Eve at irishfilmtv.com.
When the past catches up with you in Amsterdam 🌊
Ciarán Hinds and Lesley Manville star in MIDWINTER BREAK—a retired couple`s winter getaway becomes a reckoning with memories they`ve tried to outrun for decades, in theatres Feb 20.
New trailer at irishfilmtv.com.
James Nesbitt is back in Harlan Coben`s twisted universe. 🔍
RUN AWAY drops January 1st on #Netflix — and this one`s personal.
When Simon (Nesbitt) finally finds his missing daughter strung out in a city park, it`s supposed to be a second chance. Instead, it`s the beginning of a nightmare.
New trailer at irishfilmtv.com.
