Downton Abbey actor Brendon Coyle is to play Bobby Ryan in a new RTÉ drama about the disappearance and murder of the Tipperary DJ known as Mr Moonlight.
The five-part series, The Murder of Mr. Moonlight, will also star Killing Eve and Bad Sisters actor Owen McDonnell as Patrick Quirke and Unforgotten’s Sinéad Keenan as Mary Lowry.
Hazel Doupe, whose credits include Say Nothing and Kathleen Is Here, will play Ryan’s daughter Michelle, while Carolyn Bracken will play Quirke’s wife Imelda.
The drama will air on RTÉ in 2027 and has also been acquired by the BBC for BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
Bobby Ryan disappeared in June 2011 and his body was discovered almost two years later in an underground tank on a farm in Co Tipperary.
Patrick Quirke was convicted of his murder in 2019 and sentenced to life imprisonment following a 15-week trial.
The Murder of Mr. Moonlight is based on journalist Catherine Fegan’s book of the same name, alongside extensive research and interviews.
The drama will explore the relationships, secrets and tensions surrounding the case, as well as the impact of Ryan’s death and the subsequent investigation on those closest to the events.
Award-winning screenwriter Malcolm Campbell, whose credits include What Richard Did and 500 Miles, said he was drawn to the story by “the people caught up in it, the human factor, the cost of it all”.
“At its heart are real people whose lives were profoundly affected by these events,” he said.
“Our responsibility has been to approach the process with care, sensitivity and rigorous research, while exploring the relationships and circumstances that made this case so compelling.”
Producers Kim Varvell and Tommy Bulfin said the drama would seek to place greater emphasis on Ryan and his family, saying his story had been overshadowed by the attention surrounding Quirke and Mary Lowry.
“This drama intends to give a voice back to Bobby and his family,” they said.
“We hope the series honours his memory by ensuring he is remembered not simply as the victim of an extraordinary case, but as a father, grandfather, friend and much-loved member of his community.”
The cast also includes Love/Hate actor Ian Lloyd Anderson, The Young Offenders’ Danny Power, Helena Browne, Muiris Crowley, Aidan O’Hare, Emmet Byrne and The Dry’s Pom Boyd.
The series is written by Campbell, Meadhbh McHugh and Paul Howard and directed by Dathaí Keane and Rachel Carey.
It is produced by Conker Pictures and Samson Films for RTÉ, in association with the BBC, Screen Ireland and Coimisiún na Meán.