FAMILY MATTER
RTE'S Kin might not be returning for a third season - but new fans are constantly discovering the first two series of the hit crime drama.
The popular RTE show, which we revealed wouldn't be back for season three, starred big names such as Clare Dunne, Aidan Gillen, Ciaran Hinds, Sam Keeley and Emmett J Scanlan.
14
14
The smash hit show followed the lives of a fictional Dublin family - the Kinsella clan - as they became embroiled in a gangland war.
Season one saw the family mob up against Eamon Cunningham, while the dramatic finale of season two left viewers stunned.
But any hope RTE had of reuniting the star-studded cast for a third series is now gone as their contracts have run out.
An insider told us: "RTE must be tearing their hair out that an Irish TV drama, Kin, is now one of the top five most watched shows on the BBC iPlayer, and they can’t make any more seasons."
READ MORE IN KIN
But for any TV viewers still getting to know the Kinsella clan and their enemies, here's all you need to know about their family tree.
Amanda Kinsella: Played by Clare Dunne
14
Amanda is married to Jimmy Kinsella and mother to Jamie and Anthony. Jimmy is brother to Michael, nephew to Frank and son to Bren Kinsella.
Being a housewife was never on the cards for Amanda, so marrying into the mob was a thrill, but the line of risk was strictly drawn when it came to her children.
Of course, that all changed when her beloved son Jamie was murdered in the first episode of season one.
MOST READ IN THE IRISH SUN
The maelstrom of grief that consumed Amanda soon materialised into cunning - and that cunning resulted in a thirst for vengeance.
Before long, Amanda took matters into her own hands, while also revealing that her husband's brother was the real father of her slain son.
She only flourished more in the second season as she took over the family business.
Amanda Kinsella demands to meet Eamon Cunningham in shocking Kin finale
Still the protective mother, Amanda wanted to ensure her remaining son Anthony stayed away from drug dealing.
And she had revealed she wanted to try for a baby after losing her baby that herself and Jimmy conceived through IVF.
The finale had teed up another season with Gardai closing in on Amanda's money laundering operations.
Jimmy Kinsella: Played by Emmett J Scanlan
14
Jimmy is married to Amanda, father to Jamie and Anthony and brother to Michael, also known as Mikey.
He's a nephew of mob boss Frank, played by Aidan Gillen, and he's a true gang foot soldier, always following the orders he's given by whoever's the current boss.
However, when the one barking orders became his wife - his world unravelled and his psyche changed.
Jimmy did what needed to be done as he always does, but inside of that, he began to question every relationship he ever thought he had.
Jimmy showed up at Mikey's house and told him he cheated on his wife. Little does Jimmy know that Mikey was the real father of his eldest son Jamie.
WHY IS KIN NOT COMING BACK?
KIN will never return for a third season as its stars are all out of contract.
Actor Sinan Sicimoglu, who bonded with star Charlie Cox while filming season two, had hoped to be in season three.
The Turkish-Irish star plays the boss of a pawn shop where the Kinsella family launder their drug money.
But Sinan told The Irish Sun: “It’s the end of the Kinsellas because all the main actors signed three-year contracts in 2020 to appear in Kin, but it’s now 2024 and those contract have run out.
“It would be impossible to get Charlie, Clare (Dunne) and Emmett (Scanlan), Sam (Keeley) or Maria (Doyle Kennedy) back on the same set. It must be tough for RTE because Kin is now such a massive hit for the BBC.”
Kin’s original makers, Bron Studios, went bust last July.
And even if RTE and the BBC joined forces to try and make a third season, they’d face major problems securing star Charlie.
The Londoner, 41, is now based in the US shooting 18 episodes of megabucks Disney+ show Daredevil: Born Again, which won't air until January 2025.
An insider told The Irish Sun: "With Frank and Bren Kinsella now dead, Charlie as Michael was going to have an even bigger role in the third season of Kin, running the family with Amanda."
Michael/Mikey Kinsella: Played by Charlie Cox
14
Mikey is a brother to Jimmy so therefore also son of Bren and a nephew to Frank and Birdy.
A slightly more mysterious character, at the start of season one, we learn he's just got out of prison and is and father to an estranged daughter - Anna.
He was always the gang's enforcer but things changed when he had a child, and changed even further when he became separated from the child and sent to prison.
But after his release from prison, he managed to connect with his daughter Anna.
He also became very close with Amanda - who it was revealed he had fathered son Jamie with - and was even more protective of his daughter when his father Bren showed up.
And to fans' delight, Michael and Amanda got together again, having a one-night stand near the end of season two.
Frank Kinsella: Played by Aidan Gillen
14
Head of the Kinsella family, Frank is father to Eric 'Viking' and uncle to Jimmy and Michael.
When Frank took over the family from his vicious brother Bren, he did so because he was next in line.
A major part of the Kinsella crime family before his drug abuse took a toll in season one, Frank began to back away from the criminal aspects of his family.
Bren beat Frank within an inch of his life and told him that nobody leaves the family after he found out that he was planning to leave Dublin for a sunnier location.
Half a million Irish viewers watched the finale of season two, which saw Frank shoot evil brother Bren dead — before blowing his own brains out.
As these two major figures met their ends in the season two finale, we wouldn't expect to see them in another season, even if it was to happen.
Birdy Goggins: Played by Maria Doyle Kennedy
14
Sister to Frank and Bren, and surrogate mother to Jimmy and Mikey, calm and thoughtful Birdy has always operated from behind the scenes.
However, when internal tensions in the family begin to grow, Birdy’s fears grow into terror.
She rallied the family in support of Frank’s leadership, but found herself on the losing end of a power struggle.
Birdie worried for her grand-niece Anna as her brother and Anna's grandfather Bren tried to get closer to her and she conspired a plan against him.
Eric 'Viking' Kinsella: Played by Sam Keeley
14
Hot-headed Viking is the son of Frank Kinsella and partner to Nikita.
Viking paid the price for his recklessness early. With his fiery temper and feud with one of Cunningham’s men, his life quickly spiralled out of control.
The troublemaker landed himself in prison but on his release from jail, he planned on causing more mayhem for the family.
Viking stayed close to Bren and was his right hand man so that he'd be next in line to run the family.
Anna Kinsella: Played by Hannah Adeogun
14
Anna is Michael's estranged daughter.
Terrified of Michael due to his murky involvement with her mother’s death, Anna’s journey to reconnect with her dad is one of acceptance.
Though told to stay away from Michael after his release from prison, his relentless attempts to reunite with her eventually worked, and Anna came to see the sensitive, good man that lies beneath the violent exterior.
However Anna has more troubles to contend with as during one episode her paedo grandad Bren started trying to groom her.
He openly sought out the teen against Michael’s wishes and brought her over to Birdy's alone.
He gifted her with a gold necklace and touched it while on her.
Anna became uncomfortable when Bren pressured her into showing him her dance skills.
Birdy walked in and was shocked to see them together.
Terrified, she warned Amanda and Michael: "Bren, he's doing it again but this time it's Anna."
Anthony Kinsella: Played by Mark McKenna Jr.
14
Anthony is the second son of Amanda and Jimmy.
While he features in series one after the death of his brother Jamie, in season two he has a bigger role to play.
His great-uncle Bren manipulates him into agreeing to kill the person who shot his big brother.
But things don't go to plan and in the season two finale, Anthony and his getaway driver returned to Bren after shooting Glen Wright, the man who shot Jamie, but also running over an unidentified woman as they sped away.
When the boys met Bren, he was furious that they had made the mistake of running over the woman.
Bren shocked viewers as he strangled Anthony's accomplice to death and hid his body in a barrel and threw it into the sea.
Bren Kinsella: Played by Francis Magee
14
Evil Bren - brother to Frank and father to Jimmy and Mikey - was stuck in prison in season one, but made up for his absence when he was finally released in season two.
Fans were shocked to see actor Francis Magee — best known to many viewers as Night’s Watch brother Yoren on Game of Thrones — play such a violent thug.
Actor Francis said of his character: "Bren ain’t nice. There’s no kind way to say it. He’s all messed up and he’s happy to mess others up."
With Amanda now in charge when he finally got, Bren sought to re-establish his position of power.
He manipulated the younger generation into doing what he wanted - including grandson Anthony.
But Bren met a grisly end at the hands of his own brother Frank at the end of season two.
Nikita Murphy: Played by Yasmin Seky
14
Nikita is Viking's partner and beyond her makeup-covered exterior, Nikita is much smarter than anyone in the Kinsella family or beyond can perceive.
Fiercely loyal to Viking, Nikita helped him plan his every move.
Nikita was arrested on suspicion of murder during the second season after Viking killed his friend Kem.
He was furious after he found out that Kem was a rat and spying on the Kinsellas for the Cunninghams.
In a big twist, the guards ended up arresting his girlfriend Nikita.
Nikita was released from jail but feared she would still be charged with conspiracy to murder.
Eamon Cunningham: Played by Ciarán Hinds
14
Eamon Cunningham was head of the most powerful drug cartel in Ireland.
As the kingpin of the country's most feared mob, he's not a man to be trifled with.
However, when the Kinsella war began, Eamon felt that he was losing his strangle-hold on his surroundings and started to make erratic decisions to try and regain control.
But both Eamon and his sidekick Con Doyle were to get their comeuppance when a grieving Amanda started to mastermind their bloody assassinations.
In a shock twist, Eamon was murdered at the end of season one by Mikey Kinsella.
He had met with Amanda to try and cut a deal, but she was already cooking up her own plan B, and had Mikey blast the ruthless gang boss to death in the car park of a Spanish airport after their rendezvous.
Jamie Kinsella: Played by Cian Fitzsimons
14
The first-born son of Amanda and Jimmy was the apple of their eye.
But he didn't feature in Kin for long, as when the Cunninghams went on the hunt for Viking while he was at the gym, Jamie was shot and killed in the crossfire.
Actor Cian Fitzsimons, who played the 17-year-old, revealed the toughest part of his role after his character's explosive murder set the tone for the whole series.
He told the Irish Sun: "It was the wrong place at the wrong time for Jamie. For me the hardest part of the whole shoot was being asked not to move and to lay there on the ground motionless while they filmed the scene."
The killing was all the more tragic as Jamie was seen considering a career in crime early on in the episode, but decides to go to college after he witnesses Jimmy burning a drug user who owes him money with a scalding iron.
Cian said: "Jamie had filled out his CAO, and would have gone to college. His indecision earlier was like all 17-year-olds who don’t know what they want to do in life."