Internationally recognised art and literary critic, writer and cultural producer. Published in ELLE, Glamour, Esquire and Cosmopolitan; member of the Union of Writers.
Derry Girls is a comedy show that follows the lives of five teenagers during the end of the Troubles in Northern Ireland in the 90s. The show is sweet, heartfelt, and hilarious, as it depicts the everyday struggles and joys of growing up in a turbulent time and place. The show was created and written by Lisa McGee, who drew inspiration from her own childhood in Derry. The show features a brilliant and diverse cast of actors who portray the characters with humour and authenticity. The show was a success for Channel 4 and Netflix, becoming one of the most-watched shows in the UK and Ireland. It also received critical acclaim and awards, including two BAFTAs and an Emmy nomination.
Why Derry Girls is More Than Just a Comedy Show
Derry Girls is not just a comedy show, but also a cultural phenomenon that resonates with people from different backgrounds and generations. The show manages to balance the light-hearted and the serious, the funny and the tragic, the personal and the political. The show does not shy away from addressing the realities of the Troubles, such as bombings, checkpoints, and sectarian violence, but also shows the resilience and the humour of the people who lived through them. The show also celebrates the diversity and the richness of the Northern Irish culture, such as the music, the slang, the food, and the traditions.
Derry Girls is a show that speaks to the universal themes of friendship, family, love, and identity, and how they are shaped by the context and the history of one’s surroundings. The show also challenges the stereotypes and the prejudices that often plague the representation of Northern Ireland in the media, and offers a more nuanced and humanising perspective. The show also pays tribute to the real-life events and figures that influenced the course of the Northern Irish history, such as the 1994 IRA ceasefire, the 1995 visit of Bill and Hillary Clinton, and the 1998 Good Friday Agreement.
Who are the Derry Girls and Where are They Now?
The Derry Girls are the main characters of the show, and they are:
Erin Quinn, played by Saoirse-Monica Jackson, the protagonist and narrator of the show. She is an ambitious and outspoken 16-year-old girl who dreams of becoming a famous writer.
Orla McCool, played by Louisa Harland, Erin’s cousin and best friend. She is a quirky and sweet girl, who has a unique outlook on life and a love for animals.
Clare Devlin, played by Nicola Coughlan, one of Erin’s friends and classmates. She is a timid and nervous girl, who often worries about everything and has a crush on a boy named James.
Michelle Mallon, played by Jamie-Lee O’Donnell, one of Erin’s friends and classmates. She is a rebellious and outspoken girl, who loves to party and swear.
James Maguire, played by Dylan Llewellyn, Michelle’s cousin and the only boy and the only English person in the group. He is a kind and gentle boy, who often feels out of place and bullied in Derry.
The show concluded its third and final season in May 2022, with a special extended 45-minute long episode that left us weeping with its emotional ending. But what are the actors who played the Derry Girls doing now, after the show ended? Here is an update on the cast of Derry Girls and their current projects.
Saoirse-Monica Jackson has been working on several film and TV projects, such as DC’s The Flash, where she plays Patty Spivot, a comic book character who is also a love interest of the superhero4. She also appeared in Silent Night, a dark comedy with Keira Knightley and Matthew Goode, and The Duke, a biographical drama about Kempton Bunton, a taxi driver who stole a Goya painting from the National Gallery.
Louisa Harland has been working on several film and TV projects, such as Dancing at Lughnasa, a play by Brian Friel, where she plays Agnes, one of the five Mundy sisters, at the Olivier Theatre in London. She also joined the cast of Willow, a fantasy series based on the 1988 film of the same name, where she plays Jade, a young woman who joins a quest to save a kidnapped prince, on Disney+.
Nicola Coughlan has been working on several film and TV projects, such as Bridgerton, a steamy and colourful adaptation of Julia Quinn’s romance novels, where she plays Penelope Featherington, a smart and witty young lady who is also secretly Lady Whistledown, on Netflix. She also appeared in The Great Gatsby, a musical adaptation of the classic novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald, where she plays Myrtle Wilson, a married woman who had an affair with Tom Buchanan, at the Gielgud Theatre in London.
Jamie-Lee O’Donnell has been working on several film and TV projects, such as Screw, a prison drama series where she plays Rose Gill, a new recruit who joins the staff of a corrupt and chaotic jail, on Channel 4. She also appeared in The Tower, a crime thriller series where she plays Kelly, a witness to a sniper attack who was trapped in a tower block with a detective, on ITV.
Dylan Llewellyn has been working on several film and TV projects, such as Normal People, a romantic drama series based on the novel by Sally Rooney, where he plays Gareth, a friend and a love interest of Marianne, on BBC Three and Hulu. He also appeared in The Feed, a sci-fi thriller series where he plays Tom, a young man who was addicted to a technology that connected people’s minds, on Amazon Prime Video.
Derry Girls is a show that made us laugh and cry, and that will always have a special place in our hearts. It is a show that captured the spirit of Northern Ireland, and that showed us the power of comedy and friendship.
