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.
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A priest. A pool. A Spanish island. And one very dead body. 🏊♂️☠️
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