Jack Taylor (TV series)
Jack Taylor is an Irish mystery crime drama based on Ken Bruen’s novels. It follows Jack Taylor, a former Garda (Irish police) officer who becomes a private investigator in Galway after being dismissed for assaulting a politician. He takes on cases the police won’t touch, using his street knowledge and a network of contacts, including some former colleagues.
The series aired from 2010 to 2016 on TV3 and has 3 seasons with 9 episodes, each about 90–100 minutes. It was produced by Magna Films and filmed mainly in Galway, with some scenes in Bremen, Germany. Iain Glen stars as Jack Taylor; the cast also includes Killian Scott, Nora-Jane Noone, Siobhán O’Kelly, Paraic Breathnach and Jack Monaghan. The show was created for TV by adapting Bruen’s novels, with Stuart Orme directing and Colin Towns composing the music.
The first film, The Guards, premiered in August 2010, followed by The Pikemen and The Magdalene Martyrs in 2011. In 2013 came The Dramatist and Priest, and Shot Down (based on The Killing of the Tinkers) was produced as part of the series. Some episodes were released on Netflix in the US in 2014 and later added more episodes.
Critics gave mixed reviews. Iain Glen’s performance was often praised, but some critics felt the series relied on familiar private-eye clichés and questioned the Irish accents and some storytelling choices. Overall, Jack Taylor offers a moody, character-focused take on private investigation in Ireland.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 09:09 (CET).