Ireland: The hit TV show Derry Girls may have come to an end, but its legacy lives on in the Northern Ireland city that inspired it.
Widely acclaimed as a modern comedy classic, Derry Girls went out on a high in May on its third and final series, which included an hour-long special complete with impressive guest cameo roles.
Created by local girl Lisa McGee, the Channel 4 sitcom follows the life of four teenage girls and a boy in Derry~Londonderry during the last years of the ‘Troubles’ in Northern Ireland. McGee wrote many of the scenes based on her own experiences, with most of the filming taking place in her home city.
Becoming another character, the historic city walls, various streets and shops, the Bogside area and iconic landmarks such as The Guildhall, Long Tower Church and Free Derry Corner were regularly used as a backdrop to the hit show.
Now that the show has ended, a collection of themed tours and food experiences has been created to delight fans and allow anyone to re-live the antics of Derry Girls in the city that starred as itself.
The must-do themed experiences include a walk in the footsteps of Erin, Orla, Michelle, Clare and James with real Derry girl, Charlene McCrossan of Martin McCrossan City Tours. The walking tour takes in most of the filming locations in the city, including the famous Derry Girls Mural.
A private Derry Girls Original Sites Tour is also available. It showcases the locations of some of the most hilarious scenes from the TV sensation, and on this fun-filled tour, you can discover the difference between the local cream finger and cream horn delicacies.
Fans will also love a Derry Girls Food Tour, where they can taste the food from the show, get to whip up their very own cream horn at Doherty’s Bakery, and enjoy flaming sambuca at a local bar.
You can also head to the Derry Girls Mural – the city’s most selfie-friendly spot – and grab a cone at the ‘Dairy Girls’ ice-cream parlour situated beside it. A great selfie with the official Derry Girls Smash Hits cut-out can also be captured at the Visit Derry Information Centre, which also has loads of Derry Girls memorabilia and fascinating interactive installations on the rich history of the Walled City.
A Derry Girls Afternoon Tea at the Everglades Hotel features the infamous cream horn, shared by Granda Joe, a cone of chips in homage to the Chippy fiasco episode, and the famous Derry sausage roll baps. A classic Tayto cheese and onion crisp sarnie, as well as a host of local tray bake favourites that would make Ma Mary proud are also included. The afternoon tea can be combined with an overnight stay and a Derry Girls tour.
Fans can also take a walk over the Peace Bridge to the Walled City Brewery and quench their thirst with one of the Derry Girls-inspired small-batch beers such as ‘Sexy Priest’, ‘Punt Purse’ or ‘Derry Spice’.
They can also ‘name that tune’ at The Yellow Yard record shop featured in Series 3 – it’s now a quirky retail store with independent traders – or take a trip to Foyle Books, which appeared in the final episode and was a favourite haunt of Lisa McGee. The second-hand bookshop is located in the excellent Craft Village in the heart of the city centre.
