eventually confirmed that he isn't. He is "close friends" with Red Hand Luke and Pastor Begbie despite clearly living in fear of them. In most recent episodes, he becomes convinced that Grainne is his daughter from a one night stand with her mother, mainly because Billy said it was confirmed by a DNA test. The truth has yet to be verified. Billy (Michael McDowell) – Uncle Andy's nephew and a police officer with the PSNI (formerly RUC). He immediately married Emer after first meeting her in the pilot episode. By the beginning of the first series, it had become a loveless marriage. After Emer leaves with their son, Billy instantly falls in love with Dympna who moves in with him. They are married by the Pope after his divorce is finalised. Billy was raised by Uncle Andy after being abandoned by both parents. There are recurring hints that Uncle Andy is his father until it is eventually verified as untrue. He often as sumomes "politics" (i.e. he isn't a Catholic) is keeping him from promotions, when in fact he is quite lazy. He eventually gets his promotion for helping investigate the hit-and-run incident that injured Da, even though he committed it. While he openly objects to the criminal acts of Uncle Andy and his associates, Billy isn't above abusing his policing powers for his own advantage. Emer (Nuala McKeever) – Emer is Da and Ma's daughter, and marries Billy in the pilot episode. Like Ma, she is uninterested in politics and mean towards Da. However, she is quite intelligent and well informed. She is more interested in fashion and men. So much so that she shamelessly pursues other men despite Billy's protests. It is often said that she has a son with Billy who is never seen. By the beginning of series 2, she has left Billy for a Spaniard, and taken their son with them. They are seldom mentioned again until it is discovered that she remarried, thus making it easier for Billy to have his divorce. He shares a birthday with Cal. Ma (Olivia Nash) – Da's cynical and sharp-tongued wife. She tries to be a typical warm-hearted Irish mother, but she quickly gets frustrated with her family. She openly resents Da, who makes fun of her short stature, and she refers to as a "lanky streak of piss". While she keeps wishing ill of her husband, she