Father Dougal McGuire, the lovable priest from the iconic Irish show, Father Ted, is quite a unique character. But have you ever considered that you might have more in common with him than you think?
We don’t think there is a single person in Ireland who hasn’t seen Father Ted and, more importantly, hasn’t laughed their backside off watching it.
The show was a cultural reset when it first appeared on our televisions in 1995.
Today, we are taking a deeper look into Father Ted’s partner in crime (even if he didn’t always want him to be): Father Dougal McGuire, played by Ardal O’Hanlon.
Dougal is best described as an innocent and slightly naïve soul, oblivious to much of what goes on around him.
He has brought us many laughs over the years. But have you ever wondered what things you might have in common with Father Dougal?
10. You sleep in some form of Irish sports team gear – patriotic even while asleep
The Irish soccer team’s jersey of the 90s is a staple piece in Dougal’s wardrobe.
Some people may associate the jersey first with Dougal rather than the Irish soccer team themselves.
However, we only see Dougal sporting the jersey when he is in bed. This begs the question, who wore it better, Father Dougal or Roy Keane?
9. You shouldn’t be trusted in serious situations – you can’t do serious at all
Although Dougal is a priest, he’s not given many priest duties throughout the show, especially not solo ones.
Anytime he is given a gig on his own, it turns into a disaster. Let us remind you of THAT funeral that Dougal was allowed to perform. It was a car crash… literally.
8. You get yourself into some weird situations – one of the things you might have in common with Father Dougal
For a priest living on a relatively small, quiet island, Dougal has gotten himself into many weird situations.
From being stuck in the ladies’ section of a department store to finding himself as the local milkman with a bomb stowed underneath his milk van, Dougal has been in some bizarre scenarios.
Have you ever found yourself in situations like Dougal? If you have, please tell us!
7. The bishop isn’t the biggest fan of you – that’s an understatement
Do you have beef with your local bishop? This may be one of the things you have in common with Father Dougal.
From his first interaction with Bishop Brennan, it was never going to end well. He may not have been the one to kick Bishop Brennan up the arse, but he’s still not flavour of the week with the big man.
6. You’re a bit of a songwriter – my lovely horse, anyone?
Have you ever written a song? A song about a horse in particular.
Dougal shows off his flair for songwriting when he and Ted enter the Eurovision song contest with their mesmerizing tune, ‘My Lovely Horse’.
This is a song that touched the hearts of many around this country. You’re wasted in the priesthood, Dougal.
5. You have a snazzy collection of sleeveless sweater vests – it’s called fashion, look it up
Forget Coco Chanel and Donatella Versace; Father Dougal McGuire is a style icon that deserves more credit.
Dougal manages to spice up the dull priest attire with his many eye-catching sweater vests. Do you share the same passion for fashion as Dougal?
4. You’re a priest – the best career
If you are also a priest, then you and Father Dougal will have a lot in common.
Now, we acknowledge that Dougal is a bit different from other priests, but we’re sure you both would have great chats together.
You could compare mass notes, rank your favourite hymns, and give out about nuns; the conversation topics are endless.
3. You’re curious about the big man – the big man being God
Yes, even priests can question it all.
Dougal, never afraid to ask a question, sometimes struggles with “the whole heaven and hell concept”, as he puts it. No big deal, really.
2. You’re the perfect partner in crime – when you go according to the plan
If you like getting up to a bit of mischief, you and Dougal have this in common.
However, we hope your plans are a bit more sophistically executed than Dougal’s. Do we need to be reminded of the Father Ted episode with the milk van incident again?
1. You’re not too sure what’s going on most of the time – can we all relate to this?
One of the reasons Dougal appears so happy and unbothered is down to the fact that he is not sure of what is going on around him most of the time.
We think we could all be a bit more like Dougal in this sense. After all, ignorance is bliss. Just make sure you have some idea of what’s up.
So, how many of the things you might have in common with Father Dougal can you relate to? Let us know in the comments!
