THE FIRST episode of new Irish comedy Derry Girls airs tonight on Channel 4.
The show follows 16-year-old Erin Quinn as she grows up during the later years of the Troubles, battling with both the state of the city at the time and the state of her own teenage life.
With a strict Irish mammy (Tara Lynne O’ Neill) and a long-suffering father (Tommy Tiernan), coupled with the angst-ridden secondary school years, Erin’s coming of age is made no easier by the constant sight of armed police roaming the streets and British Army checkpoints on every road.
Written by Lisa McGee and based on her own experiences growing up in Derry, Derry Girls has the right mix of teen frustration and dark Catholic humor (which makes Tommy Tiernan the perfect fit).
It’s the first acting role Tiernan has had since his famous appearance in a 1998 episode of Father Ted. He’s also set to star alongside Game of Thrones and Love/Hate actor Aiden Gillen in an upcoming biopic on the controversial late-comedian, Dave Allen.
With the return of the Tommy Tiernan Show on RTE One last night, you can get double your Tommy Tiernan fix in one week with tonight’s Derry Girls premiere!
Derry Girls premieres on Channel 4 tonight at 10 pm.