Kin: the Irish drama of Oscar-nominee Ciarán Hinds

Ciarán Hinds has recently been celebrated for his performance in Kenneth Branagh's film 'Belfast.' He got several awards and nominations, including the Oscar-nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

But did you know he has another great, recent performance to his name on Irish television? The series is called 'Kin,' in case you haven't heard of it.

'Kin' premiered in the autumn of 2021 and will have a second season, according to reports from RTÉ. The 8-episode series, made in cooperation with AMC+, centres around a fictional Dublin family whose devotion to each other is tested in the midst of a gang war.

(Photo by Steven Hylands / Pexels)

Hinds plays Eamon Cunningham, a crime don and the antagonist of the series' main characters, the Kinsella family.

Credit: Kin Series Holding UK Ltd and Headline Pictures (Kin) Limited

Ciarán Hinds is a Belfast native whose experience prepared him for great roles such as Cunningham in 'Kin' and Pop in 'Belfast.' He played Julius Caesar in HBO's 'Rome' and also appeared in 'Game of Thrones.' He's also been a regular in Hollywood movies such as 'Road to Perdition', 'Munich', 'Harry Potter', and 'Frozen II'.

'Kin' is an absolute must-see for those who haven't already. Besides Ciarán Hinds, it has a great cast of well-known and lesser-known actors.

Gillen plays Frank Kinsella, the leader of the family gang. Unfortunately for the crime boss, his leadership is being questioned by his underlings. As the stakes in the show get higher, he gets increasingly desperate.

The Dubliner has appeared in 'Game of Thrones', but he burst onto the scene with 'The Wire'. On the silver screen, he has starred in big movies, from 'The Dark Knight Rises' to 'Bohemian Rhapsody'.

Gillen has won three Irish Film & Television Awards, and he was nominated for a Tony Award in 2005.

Kennedy plays Birdy, Frank's sister. She pulls the strings from behind the scenes, and she is something of a surrogate mother to Jimmy and Mikey. She finds herself in turmoil when others start to challenge Frank's leadership.

Born in Clontarf, she started her career as a singer-songwriter, but now she spends most of her time acting. Her diverse TV credits include 'The Tudors', 'Outlander', and 'Downton Abbey'. Her cinematic career has had a musical bent, with her two most famous movies being 'The Commitments' and 'Sing Street'.

Scanlon plays Jimmy Kinsella, who is related to Frank. He starts the series as a loyal, unquestioning soldier, but as the story develops, he begins to question everything he knows.

The Dubliner made his name with the soap 'Hollyoaks', and his stint as character Brendan Brady landed him a host of nominations and awards.

He has since appeared in 'Peaky Blinders', 'Legend of Valhalla: Thor', 'Guardians of the Galaxy', and 'AD: The Bible Continues'.

Cox plays Mikey, who is fresh out of jail and an enforcer for the family. Things get complicated for him when someone gets murdered, which forces him to put his dreams of a quiet life with his daughter on hold.

The Englishman has made a name for himself with numerous TV and movie credits, and he is also adept at treading the boards in theatre.

He has appeared in 'Stardust', 'Daredevil', 'The Theory of Everything', and 'Betrayal'.

'Love/Hate' launched the careers of young actors like Barry Keoghan, who has subsequently featured in Irish and Hollywood movies.

His most recent release was the hotly-anticipated 'The Batman'.

Given that 'Kin' also has some unknown, up-and-coming actors, time will tell if this generation of talent will find further success. While RTÉ is preparing the second season of 'Kin,' Irish viewers will also hope that it has another hit drama up its sleeves.