‘There’s humility, humour and heart’ – The stars of The Walsh Sisters on what makes the series special

Before being cast as Anna and Rachel respectively in RTÉ’s The Walsh Sisters, Louise Harland and Caroline Menton had both auditioned for each other’s roles.

“We were brought in for the chemistry tests, and we would do a scene where I played Rachel, and then Louise would play Anna, and then we’d swap,” Menton recalls. “To be honest, I loved both characters. I was just happy to be a part of it.”

“Same,” replied Harland, who viewers may know from Derry Girls as Orla McCool.

Based on Marian Keyes’ best-selling novels Rachel’s Holiday and Anybody Out There, and adapted by Stefanie Preissner (who also stars in the series) and Kefi Chadwick, The Walsh Sisters – the titular family – feature characters beloved by readers. 

The series follows the five sisters – Anna, Rachel, Maggie, Claire and Helen – as they navigate addiction, grief, motherhood, relationships and the everyday chaos of family life. But when a sudden incident forces them to stop and take stock, old wounds resurface and long-buried secrets come spilling out. Rachel fights to stay sober, Anna faces a profound personal crisis, and the others struggle to keep their family together.

Ultimately, the sisters must confront who they truly are and what they want from the future. Sisterhood is at the centre of the story, and in real life, Harland and Menton share the same kind of effortless bond, often finishing each other’s sentences and completing each other’s thoughts throughout the interview. 

“I think what’s nice about them is that they are described as twins because they have such a strong connection, but they are very different,” Menton explains. “They have different realities, but they really complement one another.”

Harland agrees. “Our adaptation favours two of the books, but the story of those coming together is almost like a love story about Anna and Rachel,” she adds. “But all of the books have been woven together in some capacity, which is amazing.”

The camaraderie of the sisters in the show mirrors the warmth, chaos and loyalty of a family, and both actors say there was a natural chemistry from the beginning. 

“During the week we were filming, we were really lucky to get a full week of rehearsals,” Menton notes. “That was so special because it gave us time to be together, to talk about the characters and their relationships. On the very first day, the five of us were just yapping away, and Ian, our director, was watching us. He said, ‘That’s it, I should just film this constant chatter.’ No one could get a word in edgeways, exactly like a group of sisters.”

In the books and the series, both Anna and Rachel deal with increasing personal turmoil and while funny, the show doesn’t shy away from heavy topics like addiction and loss. For Harland, it was all about finding nuance in the performance. 

“Marian deals with grief and trauma in her writing in such an amazing way, and she always layers it with a lightness,” she explains. “Playing these roles, we definitely tried to capture that same balance and likeness as much as we could, and it’s done in a very Irish way, just like how we would cope in real life. At the same time, we had to forget about the books in a way. At first, we kept referring back to them, but this is our own world. Sometimes we’d think, ‘But in the books…’ and then remind ourselves, ‘No, The Walsh Sisters is its own world.’ We had to think more about showing the essence of the characters instead of becoming exact replicas.”

For Menton, this approach revealed a side of Rachel she hadn’t expected, different from the one she knew from the book. “What really struck me was how unapologetic Rachel is,” she notes. “She can be very sarky. I didn’t necessarily get that from Rachel’s Holiday at first, but I think it’s a tactic she uses to stay in denial, brush things off and appear nonchalant. She’s an unreliable narrator in the books, so maintaining that sense of denial in the performance was important to remind viewers of that aspect of her as a character.”

Do they feel pressure at the thought of such beloved books being brought to the screen? “Yeah, it’s interesting, people remember all the details, all the chapters,” Harland says. “Even though it’s an adaptation, I still think the characters are the same at their core, and Marian thinks that too, which is the most important thing.”

“There’s definitely a feeling of pressure and responsibility, because she has so many devoted readers,” Menton adds. “You want to do the characters justice and honour the world she’s created, even though it’s our own interpretation. There’s always that hope that you’ve managed to fulfil that responsibility.”

“I think it’s a really good representation of the human condition, explored with humility, humour and heart,” Menton says. “It feels very Irish. I also think it would be really lovely if, when it comes out, a younger generation who haven’t read Marian’s books go back and discover her writing. That would be amazing.”

“Yeah, and it’s really about sisters and family,” Harland concludes. “How we can be our worst selves around them, and sometimes to them, and I suppose that’s pretty authentic, really.”

Watch The Walsh Sisters on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player every Sunday until November 2.