| Quirke is the chief pathologist in the Dublin city morgue – a charismatic loner whose job takes him into fascinating places as he investigates sudden deaths in 1950s Dublin. His pleasures in life are raw and deep, a drink, a smoke, good food, a woman: With one woman in particular – his adoptive brother's wife Sarah and the forbidden love that has shaped and dominated Quirke's life. |
| Name | Character | Episodes |
|---|---|---|
| Aisling Franciosi | Phoebe Griffin | 3 |
| Michael Gambon | Judge Garret Griffin | 3 |
| Gabriel Byrne | Quirke | 3 |
| Stanley Townsend | Inspector Hackett | 3 |
| Nick Dunning | Malachy Griffin | 3 |
| Brian Gleeson | Sinclair | 3 |
| Geraldine Somerville | Sarah Griffin | 2 |
| Sara Stewart | Rose Crawford | 2 |
| Frank O'Sullivan | Davy | 2 |
| Charlie Murphy | Deirdre Hunt | 1 |
| Lee Ingleby | Leslie White | 1 |
| Ian McElhinney | Bill Latimer | 1 |
| Colin Morgan | Jimmy Minor | 1 |
| Donald Sumpter | Josh Crawford | 1 |
| Flora Montgomery | Isabel Galloway | 1 |
| Aoibhinn McGinnity | Delia | 1 |
| Aidan McArdle | Oscar Latimer | 1 |
| Jane McGrath | Maisie | 1 |
| Catherine Steadman | Claire Stafford | 1 |
| Diarmaid Murtagh | McCoy | 1 |
| Peter Coonan | Brendan Boyle | 1 |
| Noni Stapleton | Ward Sister | 1 |
| Brid Brennan | Dolly Moran | 1 |
| Dearbhla Molloy | Celia Latimer | 1 |
| Deirdre Donnelly | Sister Dominic | 1 |
| David Murray | John Millican | 1 |
| Denis Conway | Father Anselm | 1 |
| Obi Abili | Patrick Ojukwu | 1 |
| Lalor Roddy | Old Man | 1 |
| Pat Laffan | Costigan | 1 |
| Aaron Neil | Hakim Kreutz | 1 |
| Aine Ni Mhuiri | Maggie | 1 |
| Andy Kellegher | Costigan's Man 2 | 1 |
| Shane Taylor | Andy Stafford | 1 |
| Donna Dent | Mrs. Cuffe-Wilkes | 1 |
| Janet Moran | Brenda Rutledge | 1 |
| Donagh Deeney | Barman | 1 |
| Garrett Lombard | Father Harkins | 1 |
| Branwell Donaghey | Billy Hunt | 1 |