The Riordans was the second Irish television drama serial made by Raidio Telefís Éireann (then called Telefís Éireann). It ran from 1965 to 1979 and was set in the fictional townland of Leestown in County Kilkenny. Its location filming with Outside Broadcast Units, rather than using only TV studios, broke the mould of broadcasting in the soap opera genre and inspired the creation of its British equivalent, Emmerdale Farm (now called Emmerdale) by Yorkshire Television in 1972. Plot The show was called The Riordans after the name of the central family, consisting of the middle-aged parents, Tom and Mary, and their oldest son, Benjy, as well as the latter's siblings Michael and Jude, who had left farming for other careers and had more adventurous personal lives. Other leading characters included the family doctor, his Protestant gentry-born wife, the (radical Vatican II-oriented) Catholic priest, the conservative Church of Ireland rector, the local pub owner, some nomadic Irish Travellers and others. Cast John Cowley as Tom Riordan Frank O'Donovan as Batty Brennan Tom Hickey as Benjy Riordan Gabriel Byrne as Pat Barry Annie D'Alton as Minnie Brennan Moira Deady as Mary Riordan Tony Doyle as Father Sheehy Johnny Hoey as Francie Maher Mary Kearns as Delia Maher Biddy White Lennon as Maggie Riordan Pamela Mant as Mrs Howard Dermot McDowell as Dan Hennessy Chris O'Neill as Michael Riordan Jack O'Reilly as Johnny Mac Gerry Sullivan as Owen Howard Joe Pilkington as Eamonn Maher Ann Rowan as Julia Mac Vincent Smith as Murph Brenda Wilde as Eily Maher Patrick Gardiner as Frank Tracey Rachel Burrows as Miss Benson Christopher Casson as Canon Brown Production Development In 1964 the fledgling Telefís Éireann had launched Tolka Row, a soap opera set in a working class part of Dublin. Its success was immediate, with its actors becoming household names. One year later, aware that Ireland was still a largely rural country, and of the immense popularity of rural-based radio shows on RTÉ Radio (then called Radio Éireann), notably The Kennedys of Castleross Telefís Éireann decided to create a new rural soap opera, set on a family farm. Located in Dunboyne, The Flathouse, owned by the Connolly family, was the setting for this programme. Christopher Fitz-Simons was the show's first executive producer. The drama was written by James Douglas and later Wesley Burrowes, who derived much of his inspiration from engaging with and observing the lives of