Derry Girls is a period teen sitcom set in Derry, Northern Ireland, created and written by Lisa McGee, that premiered on 4 January 2018 on UK-based broadcaster Channel 4 and ran for three series. The channel's most successful comedy since Father Ted, the series was inspired by McGee's own experiences growing up in an Irish Catholic family in Derry, Northern Ireland, in the 1990s, during the final years of the Troubles. It stars Saoirse-Monica Jackson, Louisa Harland, Nicola Coughlan, Jamie-Lee O'Donnell, and Dylan Llewellyn as five teenagers living in mid-1990s Derry while attending Our Lady Immaculate College, a fictional girls' Catholic secondary school based on the real-life Thornhill College, where McGee herself studied. Produced by British production company Hat Trick Productions, Derry Girls was filmed in Northern Ireland, with most scenes shot on location in Derry and some in Belfast.
Although the plot lines of Derry Girls are fictional, the series frequently references actual events of the Troubles and the Northern Ireland peace process, including the 1994 IRA ceasefire announcement, the 1995 visit to Northern Ireland of President Bill Clinton and First Lady Hillary Clinton, and the Good Friday referendum of 1998. Archival footage relating to key political figures such as Ian Paisley, Gerry Adams, Martin McGuinness, John Hume and Mo Mowlam is shown via TV and radio broadcasts in family homes. The soundtrack features popular music of the era, by acts including The Undertones, Ace of Base, Blur, Cypress Hill, Salt-N-Pepa, Enya, the Corrs, Boyzone, Scarlet, Fatboy Slim, PJ & Duncan, and the Cranberries.
The first series, broadcast on Channel 4 in January and February 2018, became the most-watched series in Northern Ireland since modern records began in 2002. The series was renewed shortly after the pilot episode aired, and the second series was broadcast in March and April 2019. A third and final series set in 1996 and 1997 was commissioned for 2020, although filming was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on television production, and premiered in April 2022. A final special extended 45-minute episode titled "The Agreement", set in 1998 during the signing of the Good Friday Agreement, aired on 18 May 2022.
Derry Girls has inspired a mural of its main characters painted on the side of Badgers Bar and Restaurant at 18 Orchard Street, Derry, which has become a popular tourist attraction.
Synopsis The series follows Erin Quinn (Saoirse-Monica Jackson), her cousin Orla (Louisa Harland), their friends Clare (Nicola Coughlan), Michelle (Jamie-Lee O'Donnell), and Michelle's English cousin James (Dylan Llewellyn) as they navigate their teenage years during the end of the Troubles in Derry, where they all attend a Catholic girls' secondary school. The friends frequently find themselves in absurd situations amid the political unrest and cultural divides of the times.
Cast and characters
Main Saoirse-Monica Jackson as Erin Quinn. Aged 16 at the start of the series, she is passionate and ambitious, with literary aspirations, but is at times vain, self-centred, or overly concerned with how she is regarded by others. Louisa Harland as Orla McCool. Aged 15 at the start of the series, she is Erin's detached and eccentric maternal cousin, addicted to sweets. She takes many things literally, misses social cues, and generally is happy to live in her own world. Nicola Coughlan as Clare Devlin. Intelligent and studious, often the Girls' voice of reason, she is more intimidated than her friends by authority figures. At the end of series one, she comes out as a lesbian. Jamie-Lee O'Donnell as Michelle Mallon. The "wild" one of the group, she often gets her friends into trouble through her keen interest in sex, drugs, and alcohol. Dylan Llewellyn as James Maguire. Michelle's maternal cousin, who has grown up in London but his mother brings him to live in Derry just before the start of the series; she moves back to London without telling him at the end of the first episode. Out of concern for his safety at the local Christian Brothers school, James becomes the first male pupil at Our Lady Immaculate College. Although the girls make fun of James, they care about him and eventually accept him as a Derry Girl. Everyone believes he is gay, despite his protestations. Tara Lynne O'Neill as Mary Quinn. Erin and Anna's mother and the matriarch of the Quinn family, she has been married to Gerry for 17 years at the start of the series. Tommy Tiernan as Gerry Quinn. Mary's husband and Erin and Anna's father, he is from Navan and works as a delivery driver. He has a strained relationship with his father-in-law, and patiently tries to be the voice of reason despite almost constant mockery and dismissal from those around him. Kathy Kiera Clarke as Sarah McCool. Orla's mother, Erin and Anna's maternal aunt and Mary's younger sister, she is sweet but dim-witted, heavily focused on her own and other people's appearances. She is an inattentive mother and takes little responsibility for raising Orla, but is still very affectionate towards her. Ian McElhinney as Joe McCool. Mary and Sarah's father, and Erin, Anna and Orla's grandfather, he moved in with the Quinns after his wife died ten years before the start of the series. Joe shows nothing but contempt for Gerry, constantly criticising him and encouraging Mary to leave him, and is fiercely protective of his daughters and granddaughters. Siobhán McSweeney as Sister George Michael, a Catholic nun. The headmistress of Our Lady Immaculate College, she rules the school with an iron fist. Acid-tongued and unflappable, she views being a nun as a job rather than a calling, treating priests with indifference or even contempt. Leah O'Rourke as Jenny Joyce, a prefect and sycophant despised by the Girls. She is from a wealthy family and lives in a large house with eight bedrooms, in which she often hosts lavish parties. Her mother Janette used to be friends with Mary, Sarah, Geraldine (Clare's mum) and Deirdre (Michelle's mum) when they were teenagers but since distanced herself after marrying a surgeon.
Recurring Ava Grace McAleese and Mya Rose McAleese as Anna Quinn, Erin's toddler sister. She is often seen in the arms of Granda Joe. Beccy Henderson as Aisling, Jenny's best friend and sidekick. As they often duet together, it is made clear that Jenny is tone-deaf whilst Aisling is musically talented. Claire Rafferty as Miss Mooney, Sister Michael's deputy. Amelia Crowley as Deirdre Mallon, Michelle's mother and James' maternal aunt, a nurse. Kevin McAleer as Colm McCool, Joe's brother, Erin, Orla and Anna's great-uncle and Mary and Sarah's uncle, known for telling pointless stories in a slow, ponderous style, with numerous digressions, though if they are listened to properly they are actually quite entertaining. He is always oblivious to everyone's open boredom during his stories and seems not to notice their attempts to make him stop. His family avoids him whenever possible. Paul Mallon as Dennis, the aggressive proprietor of the corner shop the Girls frequent. His merchandise is often cheap and irregular, such as purple US flags with only 30 stars, for which he overcharges. Philippa Dunne as Geraldine Devlin, Clare's mother. She seems to be under the belief her daughter is a delinquent, though they are incredibly similar in their anxious temperaments. As with everyone else in the show, she accepts and supports her daughter's sexuality. Peter Campion as Father Peter Conway, a young priest on whom most of the Girls initially have a crush. In the first series, he leaves the priesthood to begin a relationship with a hairdresser, before returning as a priest again in later series. Sister Michael openly despises him and dreads his visits. Jamie Beamish as Ciaran, Sarah's eager-to-please love interest, who works at a photography chain store. Robert Calvert as Jim, the Quinns' neighbour across the road. Joe relies on Jim to lend him various things such as a tent and a tranquilliser gun, and the two share occasional schemes together. Maria Laird as Tina O'Connell, a confident first-year student, who is able to intimidate older classmates through her sister, "Big Mandy", who also attends the school. Ardal O'Hanlon as Eamonn, Mary and Sarah's maternal first cousin, who moves in with the Quinns in the final episode of the series after his roof collapses. Liam Neeson as Chief Constable Byers. When the Girls are arrested for stealing computers from the school, he interviews them and is forced to listen to Uncle Colm when they call him for support. David Ireland as Sean Devlin, Clare's father. In the penultimate episode of the series, he suffers an aneurysm and dies, leading Clare and her mother to move away from Derry. Julia Dearden as Maureen Malarkey, an elderly neighbour of the Quinns. She and Joe share a bitter bingo rivalry. Anthony Boyle as David Donnelly, a boy on whom Erin has a crush in the first series.
Guest appearances Aoife Hinds as Mae Chung. Michael Fry as Fra. Sinéad Keenan as Aideen O'Shea. Conleth Hill as Carlos Santini. Foy Vance as Singer. Alex Gaumond as Rob. Tobias Beer as Richard the Surgeon. Bronagh Gallagher as The Commitment. Vanessa Ifediora as Laurie. Bronagh Waugh as Kathy Maguire, James' mother. Chelsea Clinton as herself. Kerri Quinn as Rita. Calam Lynch as John-Paul O’Reilly. Donna Traynor as herself. Emmett J. Scanlan as Madstab
Episodes
Series 1 (2018)
Series 2 (2019)
Series 3 (2022)
Production Filming took place in Northern Ireland, with most scenes shot in Derry and Belfast. The scenes onboard the train in S3 E3 took place at the Downpatrick and County Down Railway in Downpatrick, with the end of the episode shot at the then-recently-closed Barry's Amusements in Portrush. The first series was filmed from May to July 2017 and released in January and February 2018.
The show was renewed for a second series shortly after the airing of the pilot episode of the first series. Production of the second series began on 8 October 2018. The second series began airing on 5 March 2019. On 9 April 2019, immediately after the second series finale, it was confirmed by Channel 4 that Derry Girls would return for a third series. Production of the third series was due to commence in the spring of 2020, but was suspended following the announcement of the COVID-19 lockdown. On 21 July 2021, Nicola Coughlan confirmed that filming for the third series was set to commence in late 2021, with a premiere in early 2022. On 23 September 2021, series creator and writer Lisa McGee confirmed Derry Girls would end with its third series, stating "it was always the plan to say goodbye after three series." On 21 December 2021, McGee and Coughlan announced on social media that filming of the final series had completed.
Broadcast The first series premiered on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom on Thursday nights at 10:00 pm, while the second series was moved to Tuesday nights at 9:15 pm, with the exception of the sixth episode, which was aired at 9:00 pm. The entire series is available to stream in the UK on All 4.
The series was picked up by Netflix internationally, with series 1 being released on 21 December 2018. Series 2 was released on 2 August 2019. The international version of the first series is now available to stream on Netflix in the UK and Ireland. The second series was added on 9 July 2020; however, it was temporarily removed from the service, as it was mistakenly released a year early. The third and final series was released on 7 October 2022.
Reception