Exploring the Complexities of Northern Ireland’s Past

Actor Anthony Boyle, known for his roles in Manhunt and Masters of the Air, has deep roots in West Belfast, a city marked by its tumultuous history. Each day on his way to school, he would pass by poignant murals depicting hunger strikers and the tragic memory of murdered children. As a child, he experienced what he describes as “the hangover” of the Troubles—a sectarian conflict that pitted Protestant unionists, loyal to Britain, against Catholic nationalists in Northern Ireland, a struggle that persisted into the late 1990s.

“The history is so recent,” Boyle reflects. “You feel the pressure of it always.” Thus, when director Mike Lennox, known for his work on Derry Girls, approached him to star in the FX limited series Say Nothing, Boyle felt a wave of hesitation. This nine-episode series is based on Patrick Radden Keefe‘s compelling nonfiction book, Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland, which unfolds primarily in Belfast during and after the Troubles. With Radden Keefe being American and Joshua Zetumer serving as the showrunner, Boyle was understandably cautious. He mused, “When brothers have killed each other over which splinter group of the paramilitary they belong to, a show on Disney isn’t going to get this right.”

However, after diving into the scripts, Boyle found himself compelled to portray Brendan Hughes, a notable member of the Provisional Irish Republican Army. In Say Nothing, which premieres Thursday on Hulu, he shares the screen with Lola Petticrew as Dolours Price, Hazel Doupe as Marian Price, and Josh Finan as Gerry Adams. The actors depict younger versions of these real-life figures, who not only engage in but also endorse acts of violence in pursuit of their political aspirations. Notably, while Adams has consistently denied any links to the I.R.A., both Hughes—who passed away in 2008—and Dolours Price—who died in 2013—challenged his claims.

The series seeks to encapsulate the fervent excitement that can arise from fighting for a cause, alongside the profound and often devastating reverberations that follow such actions. Petticrew, who also hails from West Belfast, expressed her thoughts on the project, stating, “It felt like a lot of the questions that were raised were questions that I, as a young adult, have about how we heal and move on from a traumatic recent past.”