Northern Ireland Conflict

An inaccurate — and extremely irritating — TV and film stereotype is doing a disservice to the women of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

Often, in TV and films, female characters from the island of Ireland are portrayed as victims. But, Derry Girls — which returns to screens on March 5 — is turning that tired-out trope on its head.

The TV show — the most-watched series in Northern Ireland since records began — tells the stories of Erin, Orla, Clare, and Michelle — four teenage girls at a convent school in Derry, Northern Ireland. It’s set in the ’90s during the Troubles — the three-decade sectarian conflict between nationalists and unionists. Read more…

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They say laughter is the best medicine. I hadn’t really paid mind to the veracity of that statement until early last year, when a rough patch in my life meant laughter was suddenly in short supply. But when I stumbled upon Channel 4 comedy Derry Girls, I found laughter in abundance and a reminder of my Northern Irish parents’ unshakeable sense of humour in even the darkest of hours.

Derry Girls tells the story of four teenage girls living in Derry, Northern Ireland, in the ’90s during The Troubles — three decades of bloody sectarian conflict between nationalists and unionists. The second season of Derry Girls will air in the UK in spring, and the show recently came to Netflix in the U.S.. Moments into watching Erin, Orla, Clare, and Michelle navigating school life at Our Lady Immaculate convent school, I recognised a kind of humour that felt deeply familiar to me, and which reminded me of my Northern Irish parents. Read more…

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