Conor and Jock are back together after a disastrous brush with the law saw them spend jail time on two different continents. After a chance opportunity allows Jock to escape back from Colombia to Cork, the lads slip back into their old ways quickly, wreaking havoc everywhere but still only wanting the best for themselves and their families. Conor faces losing the love of his life; Jock tries to rebuild his relationship with Star; and crazy plans with locals to try to improve their lives leave them taking big risks, but that’s what best friends do.

Young Offenders returns in April.

Interviews Alex Murphy (Conor MacSweeny)

Congratulations on your IFTA nomination for series 4 - how does that make you feel?

The Young Offenders is something I am very proud of in my life. I have been playing the part of Conor for ten years now, so to be recognised for the work that I, and so many others, put into the show, fills me with a lot of pride.

What can you tell us about the new series?

The new season was a lot fun to make. My character is struggling with deciding what type of life he wants to live, while his best friend is constantly convincing him to dip his toe back into the life of crime. Needless to say Conor doesn't need much convincing. This new season has a great mix of heartfelt moments and ridiculous scenarios, while always being rooted in reality. There's a wedding, there's a death, there's a heist. It's a modern day Sopranos really.

Where do we find your character this series?

We leave season 4 with Conor finally developing the tools to live without his best friend, Jock. He has grown up, and is ready to be a part of civilised society. In season 5, Jock is back in Cork, and his time served in a Colombian prison has not exactly made him a model citizen. Their friendship is stronger than any marriage, so they are forced to meet in the middle, and return to their teenage ways of petty crime and charming outlook on life.

How was it being reunited with Chris Walley who plays Jock after spending the majority of series 4 apart?

Chris not being as much of a part of season 4, really forced the show to change. It shook up the character dynamics in a really interesting way. Conor was a fish out of water in season 4 and in many ways, so was I. Conor no longer had his best friend with him, and neither did I, it’s quite poetic really. So to have Jock/Chris return in season 5 was very energising. We have been through so much together as characters and as actors that we can almost read each other’s minds on set.

The series has some real emotional moments for your character how were those scenes to film?

The show works because the comedy and emotional beats go hand in hand. Conor loves his mum, and would do anything for her. He loves Jock and would do anything for him. He loves Linda and would do anything for her. He cannot keep everyone happy, so this leads to some great comedy and some heartbreak. Conor loves a lot of people, and he hates a lot of people, he's a man of extremes.

Was it nice to add that element to your character?

The emotional beats have been a part of The Young Offenders since day one. In life we don't separate our days into emotional days and comedic days, and neither does the show. In my head, Conor is a fully rounded character who feels all the emotions.

How do you think your character has evolved over the last 5 series?

Conor evolves in every episode and there is always a moral lesson to be learned. Every night he goes to bed a little bit wiser and more empathetic to the people around him. The problem is he wakes up every morning forgetting the previous day’s lesson. That’s why the show can last this long, there is a reset button that the audience is happy to buy into.

Do you have a favourite episode or scene from this series and why?

The whole first episode was a lot of fun to shoot as Conor and Jock are reunited after all these years. Jock emerging from the water after escaping from the Colombian prison is quite the sight to behold. To be honest I think it is one of our strongest seasons yet and there isn't a dull moment to be had.

What do you hope audiences take away from the comedy?

I hope the audience continues to take whatever they want from the show. People come up to me every day with a different perspective of what the show means for them. All I want is for you to sit down, unwind, and have a laugh for 30 minutes. How the audience might react to something does not enter the conversation when we are making the show. We set up the rules to this mad world, and you are free to take whatever you like from it.

Chris Walley (Jock O’Keeffe)

Congratulations on your IFTA Win for series 4 - how does that make you feel?

I’m so grateful for the IFTA win. It’s amazing to be honoured at home. The IFTAs always put on such a brilliant night and to celebrate it there with Alex and everyone really meant the world. I am still buzzing now.

What can you tell us about the new series - what escapades does the group get up to?

For season five, it's just so great to be back again. More of the same, with everything that people have grown to love about The Young Offenders; it's full of comedy of course, but it also has so much heart. I often find myself sometimes tearing up at the end of episodes and I think Peter (Foott, creator of the show) just does that so well which I think is a big reason why people love it. I think that that's definitely present in this season in a big way.

Where do we find your character this series?

Jock has been in prison in Colombia, and I think it's safe to say, without a spoiler, that he manages to make it back to Cork. How he does that, you're going to have to wait and see! What I love about The Young Offenders is Conor and Jock go on these amazing journeys, but then they very quickly forget everything they've learned and end up back to their old tricks. So while he is different and changed from his years in prison, it doesn't take him long to fall back into his old habits. I'm not so sure if he came back with a level of maturity and as a changed man, we'd have as much to play with for the show.

How was it being reunited with Alex Murphy who plays Conor after spending the majority of series 4 apart?

It’s always incredible being reunited with Alex. Alex is one of my best friends, and that's such a huge gift that the film and shows have given us - a friend for life. Acting with Alex as a scene partner, I feel like we really get each other, so we always know intuitively what the other person is thinking or trying to do. So for improv, it feels seamless when we get back together, which is always so fun. And more so than anything, we started acting because we enjoy it, and I really enjoy acting with Alex. He's my best pal, and we just have the craic.

The series has some real emotional moments for your character how were those scenes to film?

I think there's such a sense of levity on set, that if there is ever anything heavy it puts a lot of pressure on, especially if you have to sit in those emotions for the day. I always find that when there's a lot of levity and you're having fun, then it's easier to drop into those scenes, because your body's going from a high to low, and then it feels the effects of that more. So it's always a fun set and even when there are days when things get a bit heavier, it never really feels like it until you're literally about to about to do the take.

Was it nice to add that element to your character?

It's always amazing to add a different element to your character and as the show evolves, and we go into our fifth season, things have to change and big events have to happen in order to keep people interested, and Peter (Foott) has managed to do that so well. For me to play that, it just adds more interesting qualities for me to work with.

Do you have a favourite episode or scene from this series, and why?

I really enjoyed doing the first episode, when it was myself and Alex, as it's mainly the two of us for the whole thing. That's not to say that I don't love acting with everyone else, but it started very much with the two of us, and being on set together after missing some of season four felt like I was just being back on set with my best pal, and I really enjoyed bouncing off him and impov-ing.

Also, improv-ing is very fun with everyone, but sometimes it can get a little hard whereas when it is just the two of us, it’s very easy to fall into each other's rhythms. That being said, there is an episode where basically every character is in it, and those lunches and those days in the green room were just so much fun and it's a real reminder of what we've managed to build here. As a series, going into season five and looking around seeing people who are basically your family is mad, and I'm feeling grateful for everything the show has given us all. I feel very lucky to be a part of it.

One of the episodes is set in a famous Cork whiskey distillery, and we were filming there for a week, but that was an amazing place to shoot, just to even be on those grounds and get to hear the history of it all. I've done the tour in that distillery before, so to be to shooting there, on location, was a lot of fun.

What do you hope audiences take away from the comedy?

I just hope people have a good time. There's a lot of terrible things happening in the world, and if you can turn on the TV for half an hour and laugh with your friends and family, enjoy yourself and forget about everything for a while, then that's the job done.

Top Image: BBC/Vico Films