Is Kin based on a true story and are the Kinsellas based on a real family?

Charlie Cox in Kin — (Image credit: RTE/BBC)

As season two of Kin arrives on Netflix, fans are rewatching the binge-worthy crime drama. With its all-too-real depiction of gangs in modern-day Dublin viewers are now questioning what inspired the series.

One of the best crime dramas in recent years, Kin centres around the Kinsella family - who control the city's murky underworld.

Is Kin based on a true story?

No, Kin isn’t based on a true story. It had been thought by some fans that the show might be based on the infamous Hutch and Kinahan cartels, as the Kinsellas have some striking similarities to real-world criminals.

Just like the fictional family, the rival gangs were caught in a notorious gang war that plagued Ireland for over a decade.

Causalities occurred on both sides, with eighteen people losing their lives including 18-year-old Gary Hutch.

It's also been suggested that members of both gangs resemble characters in the RTE series.

According to reports, the leader of the Hutch gang, Gerry Hutch, is said to be similar to Frank Kinsella.

Meanwhile, Kinanhan patriarch, Daniel Kinahan, is thought to resemble rival Eamon Cunningham.

Despite intense speculation, the show's creator has strongly denied that Kin was inspired by these events or groups.

During an interview with The Irish Times, writer Peter McKenna said, "There’s nobody in this that bears any resemblance to any of the Kinahans or any of the Hutches."

Are the Kinsellas based on a real family?

Writer of Kin, Peter McKenna, has also confirmed that Kinsellas are a "made-up family in a made-up world".

He has previously revealed that he drew inspiration from his research into gang warfare which involved speaking to journalists, photographers and police investigating the criminal underworld.

Keen to portray this often unseen world as accurately as possible, McKenna also joined gangland discussion forums and even followed criminals on social media.

It is thought that this extensive research is the reason for some of the similarities between Kin and real-world criminals.

Kin is now available to stream on BBC iPlayer and Netflix.