Two real-life Derry girls who helped to inspire the hit TV show were full of praise for the new museum exhibition launched in its honour.
Two women from Derry, Shauna Bray and Aoife O’Neill, who grew up with Derry Girls creator Lisa McGee and were credited with inspiring some of the fan-favourite characters on the show, were invited to a sneak preview of the new Derry Girls Experience exhibition.
The exhibition, which opens in Derry this month and will run for a year, showcases original props and costumes from the hit Channel 4 show.
Shauna Bray and Aoife O’Neill – both grew up with show creator Lisa McGee
Shauna Bray and Aoife O’Neill, who grew up with Derry Girls creator Lisa McGee, revealed that they always believed their friend would go on to achieve great things and are incredibly proud of her many accomplishments.
Speaking about how viewers related to the show, O’Neill said, “People can certainly see themselves in at least one if not several of the characters and there’s definitely a moment or a scene that reminds them of their own childhood”.
Speaking about how McGee took inspiration from her friends when crafting the show’s characters, Brady joked that “Lisa certainly highlighted some of our good qualities but also a lot of our not-so-great qualities”.
Bray also added that she feels that her personality was most similar to Michelle’s, whereas O’Neill admitted hers was more akin to Clare’s. “We can see a lot of ourselves in all the characters, but those two would certainly be the ones we are most like,” Bray said.
Derry Girls – a hugely popular tv show
One of the best TV shows filmed in Northern Ireland, Derry Girls first aired on British station Channel 4 in 2018 and followed the story of four teenage girls – and “a wee English fella” – as they grew up in Derry in Northern Ireland during the later years of the Troubles.
The show quickly became a runaway hit for Channel 4 and ran for three very successful seasons, winning Royal Television Society Awards, Irish Film and Television Awards and BAFTAs all along the way. Even renowned filmmaker Martin Scorsese is a fan!
The Derry Girls Experience – a must-see for any Derry Girls fan
The Derry Girls Experience officially opens to the public today (4 July) at Derry’s Tower Museum and will remain on show daily until July 2024.
The exhibition promises to showcase a wide variety of fantastic memorabilia from the show, including sets, props, and many other pieces of 90s memorabilia. Both Brady and O’Neill described viewing the exhibition based on the show as a very surreal experience.
The exhibition is Derry’s latest attraction, capitalising on the show’s popularity and will stand beside other attractions, such as the mural of the main characters. McGee and the show’s star, Jamie-Lee O’Donnell, will be at a special 90s-themed event to celebrate the official opening.
