'The South Westerlies': Release date, plot, cast and all you need to know about Acorn's Irish comedy drama series
A new Irish comedy-drama series is headed to Acorn TV this November. 'The South Westerlies' is perhaps a very timely drama as it follows the stories of a small coastal town in the south-west of Ireland that is earmarked for a Norwegian-owned wind farm, threatening not just the spectacular scenery.
Leading the story is Orla Brady's ('Mistresses') Kate Ryan, a single working mother and environmental consultant in Dublin who is tasked to go undercover to get the project done. However, her own personal history with the town, specifically a crinkly-eyed surfer with whom her teenage son bears a resemblance, complicates her mission.
Read on to know more about 'The South Westerlies' and where you can watch it.
Release date
'The South Westerlies' will premiere on Acorn TV on Monday, November 9, with all six episodes.
Plot
Kate Ryan is on the verge of a lucrative promotion at Noreg Oil and a move to their HQ in Oslo until her employer adds a last-minute caveat -- a final assignment in Ireland for their company's new wind-power subsidiary, NorskVentus. Despite getting planning permission for their wind farm offshore from the West Cork town of Carrigeen, ongoing local protests are creating a PR nightmare.
Kate must go undercover to Carrigeen and pretend to be a vacationer to quash objections before an appeals deadline and smooth the path for imminent turbine installation. When Kate arrives along with her teenage son Conor, she faces an eco-battle as she quickly discovers that the anti-wind farm lobby is much stronger than NorskVentus led her to believe, led by "Big Mike" Kelleher, the town's local councilor, who's firmly on the fence about the wind farm.
It's not just the spectacular scenery that's under pressure -- Kate's eco-battle is compounded by the return of an old boyfriend, a crinkly-eyed surfer, Baz Crowley, who bears a striking resemblance to Conor. Her old friend Breege, who runs the local café, is unhappy with Kate's reappearance after 15 years of silence and is not so quick to forgive her comrade's neglect. The pressures mount for Kate as tensions rise from local protestors, Breege is on to Kate on why she has stayed away from Carrigeen all this time and a surfing accident puts things in perspective.
Cast
Orla Brady
Orla Brady is an Irish actress known for her work in 'Into the Badlands', 'Fringe', 'Mistresses', and 'American Horror Story'. She plays the role of Kate Ryan.
Eileen Walsh
Eileen Walsh is an Irish actress known for her work in 'The Magdalene Sisters', 'Women on the Verge', and 'Pure Mule'. She plays the role of Kate's old friend, Breege.
Steve Wall
Steve Wall is an Irish actor, singer, and songwriter, best known for his work in 'Vikings', 'The Witcher', 'Warrior', and 'Dominion Creek'. He plays the role of Baz, the crinkly-eyed surfer who looks similar to Kate's son.
Sam Barrett
Sam Barrett is an actor known for his work in 'The Happy Prince'. He plays the role of Kate's son, Conor.
The show also stars Patrick Bergin as Big Mike, Lily Nichol as Poppy, Ger Ryan as Noreen, Kevin Ryan as Callum, Stephen Lord as Teddy, and Julian Michael Deuster as Stefan.
Producers
'The South Westerlies' is produced by Deadpan Pictures (Ireland) in association with RTÉ, Acorn TV with its UK-based development division Acorn Media Enterprises, ZDF Enterprises and Screen Ireland.
Trailer
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