Gabriel Byrne has been cast as Earl Haraldson in Vikings, the first scripted series from the History channel, which will be shot in Ireland.
The Hollywood Reporter says that Byrne's character, a former warrior, becomes an enemy of the show's hero, Ragnar Lothrok.
The Irish/Canadian co-production will be filmed at the newly-built Ashford Studios in Co Wicklow and throughout Northern Europe.
It will premiere on the History channel in 2013.
