The Young Offenders Returns for Series 5 on RTÉ Player This Good Friday
The beloved Irish comedy series The Young Offenders has returned for its fifth series, with all episodes dropping on RTÉ Player on Good Friday, 3 April 2026, and weekly broadcasts beginning on RTÉ One on Saturday 4 April at 10:30 PM — marking a decade since the original film that launched one of the most cherished franchises in Irish television history. Critics have hailed the new series as "a sparkling return to form" for Conor and Jock, the tracksuit-clad Cork duo who have been making audiences laugh and cringe in equal measure since 2016.
Background
The Young Offenders began life as a feature film in 2016, written and directed by Peter Foott and inspired by a real-life event: Ireland's largest-ever cocaine seizure off the coast of County Cork in 2007. The film follows two teenage friends on a 160km journey on stolen bicycles to find a missing bale of cocaine they believe to be worth €7 million. It was a significant critical and commercial success, leading to the development of a television series co-produced by RTÉ and the BBC.
The TV adaptation first aired in 2018, with Series 1 premiering on BBC Three on 1 February 2018 and attracting 277,000 overnight viewers for its opening episode — a figure that grew to 366,000 by the series finale. The 2018 Christmas Special was a particular highlight, drawing 601,400 overnight viewers. Series 2 opened to 370,000 viewers in 2019, and the show subsequently moved to BBC One for Series 3 in 2020 and Series 4 in 2024, reflecting its growing mainstream appeal. Produced by Vico Films for the BBC in association with RTÉ, the show has built a devoted following on both sides of the Irish Sea.
The series is set in Cork and follows best friends Conor MacSweeney (Alex Murphy) and Jock O'Keeffe (Chris Walley) as they navigate life, friendship, and a seemingly endless series of misadventures. The original cast returns in full for Series 5, including Hilary Rose as Mairéad MacSweeney, Shane Casey as Billy Murphy, Demi Isaac-Oviawe as Linda Walsh, and P.J. Gallagher as Principal Barry Walsh.
Key Developments
Series 5 reunites Conor and Jock after a five-year gap in the show's timeline, with Jock having spent the intervening years in a Colombian prison before making a dramatic escape and returning to Cork. The reunion sets the stage for a new series of misadventures that stay true to the show's established formula while finding fresh comic territory. Key plot points include an attempt to expand their criminal "empire," the news that Linda is getting married, a foray into the Cork dating scene, a calamitous road trip with Mairéad, and a daring whiskey heist orchestrated by the irrepressible Billy Murphy.
Series creator Peter Foott expressed excitement about bringing the fifth series to fans, highlighting the strengthened bond between Conor and Jock. Justin Healy, Executive Producer for RTÉ, described the new series as featuring "comedy drama with big heart and brilliantly bad behaviour." The Irish Independent awarded the series a 4/5 rating, while The Irish Times noted that the show "doesn't aspire to more than old-school British sitcom in a Cork jersey" — a description that its fans would likely take as a compliment. All six episodes are available on BBC iPlayer for UK viewers from 3 April.
Why It Matters
The return of The Young Offenders is a significant moment for Irish television, coming as the show celebrates its tenth anniversary since the release of the original 2016 film. The series has helped put Cork firmly on the map as a creative hub for Irish screen production, and its success on both RTÉ and BBC has demonstrated the appetite for authentic, locally-rooted Irish comedy on both sides of the Irish Sea. In an era when streaming platforms are increasingly homogenising television content, The Young Offenders represents something genuinely distinctive: a show rooted in a specific place, a specific accent, and a specific sensibility that cannot be replicated anywhere else. Its continued popularity is a testament to the enduring appeal of character-driven comedy that trusts its audience.
Local Impact
For audiences in Northern Ireland and across the island of Ireland, The Young Offenders occupies a special place in the television landscape. The show's Cork setting and its affectionate portrayal of working-class Irish life resonates with viewers who rarely see their own experience reflected on screen. The BBC-RTÉ co-production model that underpins the show is also a reminder of the cultural ties that bind the island of Ireland and the UK, even in a post-Brexit landscape where those ties are sometimes strained. The show's availability on both RTÉ Player and BBC iPlayer ensures that it reaches the widest possible audience across both jurisdictions.
What's Next
With six episodes airing weekly on RTÉ One on Saturdays, viewers can expect The Young Offenders to dominate Saturday night conversation on Irish social media throughout April and into May. The show's availability on RTÉ Player from Good Friday means fans across Ireland and the UK can binge the full series immediately. Whether Series 5 will be followed by a sixth remains to be seen, but the warm critical reception and the enduring affection of the audience suggest that Conor and Jock have plenty of misadventures left in them. Sources: Irish Independent — The Young Offenders Series 5 review; RTÉ — New series of The Young Offenders announcement.
