Marian Keyes is the storyteller who shaped the lives of many women in Ireland and beyond

They've been a companion on holidays, during hospital stays, on trains, planes, and buses, and on lonely lunch breaks in college.

They are the books that helped us feel seen, understood, that made us smile, laugh, cry, and fall in love with the sheer magic of Irish sisterhood.

Marian's stories have been with us for decades, but they're set to take on a new chapter in RTÉ's The Walsh Sisters series.

The author was joined by the cast of The Walsh Sisters in Dublin's IFI on Wednesday evening, and spoke exclusively to Her.ie about how it feels to see the beloved sisters jump from the pages of her novels to TV screens around the country.

Speaking about seeing the cast in character for the first time, the Irish author said it felt surreal.

"It is completely surreal because it's 30 years since Watermelon was published, and on and off the books have been optioned over the years, but I felt like now was the right time."

"It's like the characters in my head just walked out into the real world. I just feel really proud of all of them and everyone who's associated with it."

"I'm really happy because I think it'll give everyone a lift"

Keyes is hoping The Walsh Sisters will give people the lift they need.

"I think it'll give everyone a lift because I feel like it represents modern Ireland. You know, like we're all sort of fucked up, but we're kind of doing our best and we still function as families, and sometimes the things that are only meant to happen to other people happen to us, and we still manage to cope even though it can be hard."

Keyes says she cannot wait for everyone to see the series, which airs on RTÉ 1 on September 28th, but she really hopes the Walsh sisters will bring comfort and reassurance to Irish women.

Keyes says the series deals with heavy topics like addiction, grief, and being a single mother, but the storylines are there to help spark conversations, and just like her books, to make people feel less alone.

"The series kind of gives a voice to single mothers who still want to be out having the craic," she shared.

Keyes also hopes the series will highlight addiction in an empathetic and truthful light.

"To show that addiction isn't something that happens to people in the margins, that it happens in the mainstream, you know, like it even happens to middle-class people."

"It's a really good message [for young women] because it shows it happens and you can get well."

"Another thing that hasn't been talked about is being young and being bereaved, so I'm just really hoping that people will see that life can be unpleasant and you can get past it."

The Walsh Sisters stars Louisa Harland as Anna, Caroline Menton as Rachel, Danielle Galligan as Claire, Máiréad Tyers as Helen, and Stefanie Preissner as Maggie. The series also stars Jay Duffy (Luke), Carrie Crowley (Mammy Walsh), and Aidan Quinn (Daddy Walsh).

The Walsh Sisters airs on RTÉ One on Sunday, September 28th at 9.30 pm.

You can watch the trailer below: