“Protestants hate Abba.” Derry Girls returns on Tuesday.
“My name is Erin Quinn. I’m 16 years old, and I come from a place called Derry, or Londonderry, depending on your persuasion.”
With that opening line, a comedy smash was born and aside from the tales of Kamal from Ballybofey, Clare going on a sponsored fast, Michelle insulting James, and Sister Michael’s withering putdown of the girls – “Well, I think it’s safe to say we all just lost a bit of respect for you there, Clare” – the opening episode of Lisa McGee’s made one thing very clear, this wasn’t a show that was going to be defined by things like The Troubles and religion.
Yes, they’re important to the show but they’re only significant because they’re used to service the plot and characters, they’re never central.
Yes, religion is mentioned but only in the context of a dog peeing on a statue of ‘Big M’, Sister Michael’s sardonic remarks, or Orla’s weird insights that “you shouldn’t swear, Michelle, ‘cos when you swear, Our Lady in heaven, she cries her tears, then make rain”.
Yep, Derry Girls just takes the mickey out of religion – regardless if that’s being stuck behind the Orange Order on the 12th, or highlighting the weird world of growing up in a Catholic school.
However, very much in the spirit of the Ireland that every single Irish person wants to see, our favourite Derry girls are about to meet a bunch of Protestant lads in the Season 2 opener and it looks like an absolute riot.
The season trailer already showed us Michelle shifting one of the fellas, but it appears that this ‘Friends Across the Barricades’ programme is going to be very educational.
Take a look at what’s in store when Derry Girls returns on 5 March.
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