Mallow’s Stefanie Preissner will return to screens as part of the cast and creative team behind The Walsh Sisters, with RTÉ confirming the hit drama has been renewed for a second season and production is now underway.
The announcement will delight fans of the Marian Keyes adaptation, which has become one of RTÉ’s most talked-about recent drama series. The new season will continue the story of the Walsh family, following Rachel, Claire, Helen, Maggie and Anna as they navigate new challenges after the dramatic events of the first series.
The official synopsis for season two states:
“Series two of The Walsh Sisters will follow Rachel, Claire, Helen, Maggie, and Anna as their lives evolve after the twin dramas of Rachel’s spiral and a life-altering tragedy for Anna.”
The new episodes will explore Rachel’s efforts to stay sober and rebuild her life, Claire’s attempt to balance single motherhood, Helen’s struggles with anxiety, Maggie’s preparations for motherhood and Anna’s journey towards healing following profound grief.
For Mallow native Stefanie Preissner, the second season marks another significant chapter in an already impressive creative career. Preissner stars as Maggie Walsh while also playing a key role behind the scenes, having written four of the six episodes in the first series.
Adapted from Marian Keyes’ much-loved novels, The Walsh Sisters follows a middle-class Dublin family of five sisters, each dealing with their own challenges, relationships and moments of humour.
Taking on the task of adapting Keyes’ books for television was a major responsibility, but one Preissner approached with her trademark honesty and wit. Her previous work, including Can’t Cope, Won’t Cope and Solpadeine Is My Boyfriend, has established her as a distinctive voice in Irish storytelling, particularly in exploring the lives of women through humour and vulnerability.
Speaking to RTÉ.ie about her approach to writing, Preissner said:
“The tone of my previous work reflects women of a certain age going through things in their life, and using humour as a coping mechanism. I think it works really well.”
That combination of humour and emotional honesty has helped the series connect with audiences, while remaining true to the spirit of Marian Keyes’ original books.
Preissner’s performance as Maggie Walsh has also been widely praised, with viewers highlighting the warmth, humour and vulnerability she brings to the character. Her willingness to embrace the role fully has become part of the conversation around the series, including her own humorous reflections on writing and later performing one of Maggie’s more challenging scenes.
The first season of The Walsh Sisters premiered on RTÉ in Ireland before later being acquired by the BBC, bringing the Dublin-set comedy drama to a wider audience.
The series features a talented ensemble cast including Louisa Harland, Caroline Menton, Danielle Galligan and Máiréad Tyers as the Walsh sisters, alongside Carrie Crowley and Aidan Quinn as their parents.
Marian Keyes has previously praised Preissner’s work on the adaptation, describing her contribution as an “amazing job” in bringing the much-loved Walsh family to television.
