Garret Griffin

He grew up in poverty but he worked hard as a young man and climbed his way up the legal profession. Garret is now Judge Garret Griffin, a pillar of Dublin’s high Catholic society and one of the most powerful men in Ireland. At the start of episode one, Garret is made a Papal Count by the Pope, a high honour for a boy from Dublin who used to walk to school barefoot to save the shoe leather.

Quirke likes and respects Garret, and Quirke is the son that Garret always wanted. In Garret’s eyes, Mal has never been able to measure up to Quirke.

Michael Gambon is a beloved theatre, film and television actor, with a body of work spanning over 40 years.

Michael is one of theatre's most highly regarded actors. He has been nominated for numerous Laurence Olivier Awards, most recently for his performance in No Man’s Land at the Gate Theatre in Dublin. In 2010 he won the Evening Standard Lebedev Special Award for his contribution to British Theatre.

His breakthrough television role was in the BBC mini-series The Singing Detective, for which he won a BAFTA, a Royal Television Society Award and a Broadcasting Press Guild Award for his portrayal of Philip Marlow.

Michael continues to gain critical acclaim for his work in television, winning BAFTAs for his performances in Wives and Daughters, Longitude and Perfect Strangers. He was recently seen in the HBO series Luck alongside Dustin Hoffman, and in the two part BBC thriller Restless.

Michael’s extensive film work includes Sleepy Hollow, Gosford Park, The King's Speech and Quartet. He is known to audiences around the world for his portrayal of Albus Dumbledore in the Harry Potter series.

In 2012 Michael was presented with The Richard Harris Award for Outstanding Contribution by an Actor in British Cinema.