So I had two weeks off before returning back to a whole new job and I ended up watching Derry Girls. I’d seen it advertise on Channel 4 and for some reason, hadn’t got around to watching it. But what an incredible show!

The story is takes place in Northern Ireland before the Good Friday Agreement. The Derry Girls is hilarious. Set in the mid-1990s Northern Ireland during ‘the Troubles’, it has a truly brilliant cast and deeply memorable characters. It stars Erin, played by Saoirse Monica Jackson- her ‘weirdo’ cousin Orla, portrayed by Louisa Harland, their mates – the foul-mouthed, sexually charged Michelle (Jamie-Lee O’Donnell) and highly-strung Claire (Nicola Coughlan) and Michelle’s English cousin, the honorary male Derry Girl (no he’s not gay) and Brit, James played by Dylan Llewellyn.

It showed the teenagers living through the period of conflict that didn’t end until the Good Friday Agreement in 1998, as the battle over whether Northern Ireland should leave or remain in the United Kingdom came to an end.

Written by Lisa McGee, Derry Girls became the most-watched series in Northern Ireland since modern records began in 2002. Over the course of its three-season run, from 2018 to 2022, the sitcom helped reshape the perceptions of Derry. Doing what Irish people do best, find the joy in the darkness. Some references were blink and you’d miss it and maybe you’d need to know something about the hustory and key people during the Troubles but when I heard Michelle refer to Claire as Bobby Sands because she was suffering the side effects of a sponsored fast, I properly laughed out loud.

And it was really refreshing to hear a female voice in the narrative. Not only was it female but it was young, hopeful, unabashed and filled with the certain uncertainties of teenagers. The show had a lot of fans, some of whom popped up as cameos which added to the credibility and admiration the show gained over time.

By the time the show ended last year, the show had won three Baftas. There were only 3 seasons but that’s how Mcgee wanted it “to finish on her own terms.” The cameo at the end was a nice touch. So if you haven’t watched it, you can catch it on either Netflix or More 4

Please check it out but if you’ve got any TV recommendations, please let me know!

I love you for reading,

Tricia xx