RTE says the first episode of the new series of Love/Hate had an average of 971 thousand viewers
The programme, which was broadcast last night, had an audience share of 53%.
An animal rights charity is urging the public to boycott the show, after the opening scene saw a cat being shot to death.
The Animal Rights Action Network says the scene does "irreparable damage to their work of curbing violent crimes towards animals".
Octagon films says no animals were harmed in the making of the series.
