Content Warning: This article contains discussions/references of violence and death.
The Channel 4 sitcom Derry Girls is a heartwarming and funny coming-of-age story revolving around a group of teenagers growing up in the aftermath of an ethnic-nationalist conflict in the 1990s. For those unacquainted with Irish history, Derry and other settlements in Northern Ireland were severely affected by 'the Troubles' that emerged out of debates on Northern Ireland's constitutional status. Hence, it wouldn't come as a surprise that despite its cheery characters, Derry Girls has its share of dark comedy with satirical undertones. The show is also true to the period it's set in recounting actual historical events, such as Bill Clinton's trip to Ireland, a polar bear's disappearance from a zoo, and so on.
Though fans of the show were certainly sad to see the acclaimed comedy series end with its third season, it left on a high note. Once again, the show told its own touching story while also tying in elements of real-world events surrounding its setting of 1990s Ireland. From the big events fans likely heard of to the lesser-known events that added color to the series, there are more real-life moments from Derry Girls' final season.
Take That Concert
The Manchester-bred pop group Take That was on an all-time high in the 90s. As Take That plans to perform in Belfast, Erin and her friends plan to embark on a road trip despite her parents' disapproval. Erin's frustration rises even further as she finds this to be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
It turns out that Take That did perform at Belfast in 1993 and 1994. Even though season 2 is set in 1995, the storyline might be referencing either one of these concerts. Following this, Take That suffered major setbacks as Robbie Williams marked his departure in 1995 while the band split up a year later.
Weeping Virgin Mary
There are certainly intelligent characters on Derry Girls but they can all have moments of foolishness as well. As Erin chases a dog to a church's upper level, the pet ends up urinating on the floor, which accidentally drips onto a statue of the Virgin Mary. This then leads to Erin's sleep-deprived peers believing the statue is weeping, a rumor that ends up spreading all over the town.
While this doesn't recount a particular historical event, weeping Mary statues are observed in various countries over the years. Some of these are cases of fraud (as shown in Derry Girls) while others are deemed to be because of supernatural or divine reasons. In Ireland, the oldest case of a weeping statue was in 1920 when a teenager from Tipperary discovered a statue of Mary crying out tears of blood.
Bill Clinton's Visit To Derry
In the season 2 finale, the town of Derry looks forward to a visit by Bill Clinton. In particular, Grandpa Joe (Iain McElhinney) is interested to catch a glimpse of the then-American President while Sister Michael (Siobhan McSweeney) 'refuses' to give a day off to her students.
Bill and Hillary Clinton did visit Derry in November, 1995. His speech at the Guildhall Square would later mark the ceasefire leading up to the 'Good Friday Agreement,' which marked an end to the Troubles. Viewers can also get a glimpse of archival footage of this same speech by the end of the episode. It makes for one of the best Derry Girls episodes.
1998 Omagh Bombing References
Unlike its follow-up, season 1 ended on a more cynical note as it highlighted a bomb explosion that was meant to show a similar impact to the 1998 car bomb explosion at Omagh. This explosion was carried out in 1998 by a breakaway faction of the Irish Republican Army as an act of defiance against the Good Friday Agreement. 29 people were killed within the UK and Ireland, strengthening anti-terrorism laws as a result.
In the words of showrunner Lisa McGee, 'There were lots of day-to-day things that were funny but occasionally there was something big like Omagh, that the whole nation went ‘this just has to change’...I’ve not based anything on any particular incident, but it was just something at that scale."
Orange Walks
July 12 marks a Protestant celebration simply known as the Twelfth. The day marks Prince William of Orange's victory over King James II, an event commemorated by parades under the Orange Order (a Protestant order based in Northern Ireland). The 'Orange walks' are often scrutinized by other groups like the Catholics and Irish nationalists, who see the procession to have a separatist nature.
The same emotions are shared by the protagonist's family in Derry Girls as they plan to spend the holiday at an Irish county in order to avoid the Orange walks altogether.
The Chernobyl Disaster
In 1986, the Chernobyl nuclear plant exploded near the Ukrainian city of Pripyat, unleashing a wave of radiation that shook the world. As the Soviet Union attempted to suppress the news to avoid global backlash, over 31 people died while thousands faced the risk of radiation exposure. It was examined in Chernobyl, one of the best limited series of all time.
The aftermath of the incident is covered in a season 1 episode that covers an international exchange program at school. As a gesture to provide aid to Chernobyl's victims, several Ukrainian teenagers are allowed to arrive at Derry and temporarily stay with the students.
1994 Ceasefire
The IRA ceasefire of 1994 is celebrated by the townsfolk in the penultimate episode of season 2. For years, the Provisional IRA was resorting to military violence to meet its means. The outfit's chief belief was to unite all of Ireland as an independent republic free from British control. However, August 31, 1994, marked the first of two ceasefires on their part as they committed themselves to enhance the democratic processes and restore peace.
As Erin's family watches a new report explaining the ceasefire, they head out on the streets to find the entire town celebrating the declaration of peace. Their jubilation is understandable given how the Provisional IRA's clashes with British forces, mostly spelled out trouble for the locals in Ireland and Northern Ireland.
Peacebuilding Student Programs
The debut episode of season 2 introduced Friends Across The Barricade, a peace initiative for the Catholic students of Derry and the Protestant students from a nearby boys' secondary school. In this scenario, Michelle and Erin see this as a chance to woo their assigned male 'buddies' but to no avail.
In a press interview, Lisa McGee revealed that this was directly inspired by a real-life incident in her school days. 'It was called Reach Across the Divide or something. It was not as bad as what I’ve written, but it was pretty bad. It was all about the boys because you fancied them, nothing about peace. You can imagine!'
Polar Bear Escape
In the same episode as the Take That concert, a polar bear is reported to have escaped from the Belfast Zoo leading to mass panic. An incident like this did actually happen, although in a different time period.
For unclear reasons, Belfast Zoo inhabitant, Peter the Polar Bear, went missing in 1972. His body was found in the same year and was then carried in a truck to be sent off for taxidermy. The procession of Peter's corpse still created history among locals who started floating all kinds of rumors. Today, Peter's body is preserved as an exhibit in the Ulster Museum.
The General Premise
As mentioned earlier, the Troubles had an adverse impact on the Irish populace especially in the 70s and the 80s. The show's premise deals with the after-effects as the Troubles showed some signs of ending by the late '90s as peace-making processes were underway.
This explains the security checks of vehicles and the general fear of violence as is evident from the TV news reports. Even the popular culture at the time was representative of this tense atmosphere. In the Carrie-style prom, "Zombie" by The Cranberries starts playing. The rock anthem was written as a protest song in response to the 1993 Provisional IRA's Warrington bombings that resulted in the death of two children.
Clare's Father Dies
While most of the events from Derry Girls that were inspired by real events focus on the political or cultural touchstones of Ireland at this time. One instance in the penultimate episode was drawn from more personal experiences.
The episode ends with Clare finding out that her beloved dad died of a brain aneurysm quite unexpectedly. The show's creator Lisa McGee revealed to Radio Times that this was based on a real instance of her friend suddenly losing her father which forced the group of friends to grow up quickly.
The Good Friday Agreement
Much of the series dealt with the uncertainty and violence within Ireland during the Troubles even as it remained a hilarious show. The finale incorporated a real-life event that gave hope of peace coming at last.
The finale finds the main characters all voting on the Good Friday Agreement which would serve as a peace agreement between the main opposing sides. The episode looks at the complexities and uncertainty of the agreement, and though it didn't completely end the violence, it leaves the show on a hopeful note.