STARS OF HIT IRISH SITCOM ARE HAPPY TO BE REPEAT OFFENDERS
Season three of The Young Offenders is here. Georgia Humphreys catches up with the stars of the cult comedy
IF YOU are a fan of The Young Offenders, you won’t be surprised to hear star Alex Murphy doesn’t get embarrassed on set anymore.
“I feel I can do anything in front of the crew, which we have – there’s not much of me that the crew hasn’t seen!” says the Cork-born actor, 22.
In the comedy, Alex plays Conor Macsweeney, who’s best friends with Jock O’keeffe, played by fellow Corkonian, Chris Walley, 25.
Over the past two series – spinoffs from the 2016 film of the same name – we have followed the two loveable rogues as they get themselves into all sorts of sticky situations.
Now we’re getting a series three, which sees the lads trying to make their way as young adults, with yet more questionable methods of making some money, all while Jock navigates being a new dad.
It’s an unconventional family set-up in The Young Offenders, set and filmed in Cork. A heart-warming episode in series one saw Connor’s mum, widower Mairead, played by Hilary Rose, become a foster mum to Jock – whose mum died – after he escapes his abusive, alcoholic dad. At the end of series two, Jock’s girlfriend Siobhan – whose dad happens to be Principal Walsh, who is far from the biggest fan of Jock and Conor – gave birth to baby Star.
The new addition to the family means Principal Walsh and his wife Orla – whose other daughter Linda is going out with Conor – now have to engage more with Mairead, which hasn’t always gone well in the past.
“Season three was interesting because Mairead really cuts loose and, at some stages, the lads are telling her to calm down!” says Hilary.
As for the love story between her and local policeman Sergeant Healy, she teases “season three kinda continues that on-again,
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