Niall Toibin

Ballykissangel is a BBC television drama set in Ireland, produced in-house by BBC Northern Ireland. The original story revolved around a young English Roman Catholic priest as he became part of a rural community. It ran for six series, which were first broadcast on BBC One in the United Kingdom from 1996 to 2001. It aired in Ireland on RTÉ One and in Australia on ABC TV from 1996 to 2001. Reruns currently air on Yesterday in the United Kingdom and in the United States on some PBS affiliates.

Significant changes in the cast occurred between the third and fourth series and between the fifth and sixth series.

There was a surprised reaction from both the cast and press when it was announced that Ballykissangel was to end. Several articles at the time of the show’s cancellation stated that a seventh series had been written and the cast were due to start filming in May 2001. Following the cancellation a seventh series was never put into production.

The name of the fictional village in which the show was set is derived from Ballykissane, a townland near Killorglin in County Kerry, where the show’s creator, Kieran Prendiville, holidayed with his family as a child. The village’s name in Irish is shown as “Baile Coisc Aingeal”, which means “The town of the fallen angel” on the sign outside the post office.