Eastenders stars relocate to Ireland for new drama Redwater

As two of Albert Square’s finest move to this country for a new series, Ed Power hears why they hope to make amends for the disastrous visit in the 1990s.

Fionnula Flanagan had never watched an episode of EastEnders when she was offered a starring role in Redwater, a gritty, Irish-set spin-off of the popular drama.

Nor was Flanagan, a grand dame of Irish stage and screen, au fait with the controversial 1997 episode in which the soap portrayed a visit to Ireland as a weekend among the mucky, violent peasants. So she did her research.