Premiering on 30 October 1991, this controversial four-part BBC2 drama series – based on a trilogy of novels by M S Power – revolved around the murder of two MI6 agents in Northern Ireland and the subsequent explosive political situation as Colonel Mailer (Patrick Malahide) – a long-standing member of MI6 – and John Axton (Tony Doyle) – an RUC intelligence officer – lead the hunt to track down the killers.
Michael Gough co-starred in the unlikely role of Arthur Apple, a dotty old IRA man brought out of retirement to help launder the IRA’s ill-gotten gains through a Belfast betting shop, which is staffed by ruthless IRA killer Martin Deeley (Adrian Dunbar).
John Kavanagh played the softly-spoken local IRA godfather, Seamus Reilly.
Nobody trusted anybody, even when they were supposedly on the same side.
The series had originally been scheduled for broadcast in February 1991 but was postponed due to the developing Gulf War in Kuwait and Iraq.
Parts of the series were filmed in Belfast, but producer Chris Parr opted to film scenes involving killings, church services and funerals in Liverpool and Manchester.
Arthur Apple
Michael Gough Colonel Mailer
Patrick Malahide Seamus Reilly
John Kavanagh John Axton
Tony Doyle Ballister
Paul Brooke IRA Chief of Staff
Sean Caffrey Fergal
Frankie McCafferty Eddie McCluskey
John Keegan Pat Moran
John Hewitt Regan
Paddy Rocks McIlliver
Brian McGrath Colonel Shrapnell
Jonathan Hyde O’Hare
Ian McElhinney Martin Deeley
Adrian Dunbar Barton
Derrick O’Connor Captain Little
Nicholas Gecks Kate
Michelle Fairley Danny
Peter Taggart Sean
B.J. Hogg Dowling
Toby Byrne Daphne
Lynda Steadman May Donnelly
Valerie Lilley Donovan
Joseph Crilly Tom Kelly
Trevor Moore
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Michael Gough co-starred in the unlikely role of Arthur Apple, a dotty old IRA man brought out of retirement to help launder the IRA’s ill-gotten gains through a Belfast betting shop, which is staffed by ruthless IRA killer Martin Deeley (Adrian Dunbar).
