Talking Derry Girls

Episode 106 - Derry Rocks the Boat We are a world record breaking City !  And we did it with style - courtesy of Micky Doherty, diplomacy - courtesy of the Nobel Institute and a total lack of grace - courtesy of the Talking Derry Girls. The Mayor and her chosen charities were in attendance, bravo to Foyle Hospice and The Ryan McBride Foundation for all their important and valued work.&nb...

WARNING: CONTAINS MILD SPOILERS FOR EPISODE 3 OF BLUE LIGHTS The Derry Girls - Blue Lights connections are well and truly there if you dig deep. The TDGs are joined by Derry Girl Louise Gallagher who had the original idea for Blue Lights. She also has a feature film under her belt:  ‘A Bump along the Way’ and an award winning short film ‘Rough’. As well as having her own produc...

The Blue Lights obsession continues. WARNING CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR EP 2 BLUE LIGHTS.  Never record a podcast on an empty stomach! The Talking Derry Girls sausage roll fondness returns, what even is a capsicum and chilli jam? It's a long way from avocado on toast we were reared. Maybe the girls need to re-evaluate their breakfast menu options as they discuss the possibility of runnin...

Declan Lawn talks Series 2 of everyone's favourite cop show. Spoiler alert, you may want to watch Episode 1 of the new series before listening as the girls do discuss it . All other eps are safe as co writer/ co creator Declan has promised to return once the whole series has aired…there are so many questions yet to ask. Series 2 launches in Australia on Thursday 18th April, American audiences will...

The Talking Derry Girls are in a book! And not just any old book but an academic one about teaching history in America. Of course it’s not just us - Derry Girls and The Cranberries are in there too, in the same chapter. Pauline and Jeanie muse on this fact, and wonder if academic stalking is OK in the name of research. And if they could now, like Lisa McGee get an honorary degree!&n...

Are you sitting comfortably? Then we probably shouldn't invite you to Derry on Saturday 4th May where you can sit on a very steep street with, hopefully, several thousand others in a bid to win a Guinness World Record. The Talking Derry Girls will be there supporting the Mayor of Derry's official charities - The Ryan McBride Foundation and Foyle Hospice. Details of how you can register and take pa...

The Talking Derry Girls are amazed to have reached their milestone episode and there's only one person to blame. Here to defend herself is Derry Girls creator and writer Lisa McGee. They talk about that multiple award winning finale episode and there are many, many questions and answers.  Just how funny is Liam Neeson? Who put in the call to Chelsea Clinton and did David Ireland really channe...

One recording away from the big 100 and the TDGs are still in different timezones. Not sure what the lead balloons are in this week's episode…the definition of a lead balloon is -”something that you say or show to people that they do not like…something which fails miserably and is utterly unsuccessful” So it most definitely isn’t anything to do with Lisa McGee and her continued award winning succe...

Where are we? What are we doing? In this week's episode of podcasting for the bewildered, the Talking Derry Girls are jumping timezones and continents and may just be oversharing. Marie-Louise has a close encounter with Uncle Colm; poor man was only looking for the toilet. Pauline discovers there's more to Amsterdam than the infamous Red light district. And Jeanie fears that she is lost...

Not all the Talking Derry Girls listeners are aware that Pauline, Marie-Louise and Jeanie have appeared in Derry Girls. They try not to talk about it …much! They attended the funeral of Sean Devlin (Clare's Da ). Now the Dust to Dust and Ashes to Ashes have settled, the tears have dried and Clare has run off after some rich Lord in Bridgerton, the TDGs thought maybe it was safe to talk about...

Back in November ‘23 the TDGs chatted with award winning photographic artist Deirdre Brennan. (Ep.88). Deirdre was working on her latest piece “Looking for Brigid” in honour of Ireland's female patron Saint Brigid. Deirdre set up her camera in Derry's Playhouse and welcomed Brigids, Bridies, Brids and all variations thereof to tell their stories and pose . Did she find Brigid? Was she a Saint or a...

When 3 becomes 2: Pauline and Jeanie are left feeling a bit like Take That after “Robie” left. Marie-Louise is sick and the girls are left pondering on past glories, or should that be, stories? A three year old advent calendar provides inspiration as well as some timely festive advice. What is the perfect sausage roll recipe? How to deal with a real life Uncle Colm and do not, whatever you do, tak...

We are “in the mouth of Christmas” as they say in Derry, and the Talking Derry Girls still aren't convinced by the festive cheer. Jeanie worries that she peaked too soon and Marie-Louise is afraid that too much time around Pauline has turned her inner Grinch outward. Does anyone ever actually drink mulled wine? In what can only be described as an ambush, Marie-Louise and Jeanie meet up with some v...

Are the Talking Derry Girls ready to spread some Christmas joy? Maybe a chat with Charlene can get their jingles jangling. A lot has happened since we last chatted with the UK's youngest ‘Blue Badge’ accredited tour guide. She has been spreading the Derry word around the world and tourism in the City has continued to grow from strength to strength. Not sure where Charlene stand...

The Talking Derry Girls knew there was no way to beat Lisa McGee's latest exceptional win, but that didn't stop them heading to Dublin for the Irish Podcast Awards. Double nominees, the girls had a title to defend, Arts and Culture Gold Award winners of 2022, plus they were also nominated in the Best Interview category. Sparkles were donned, eyeliner was winged AND smudged as the Talking Derry Gir...

“A teenage dream’s so hard to beat" …” Lyrics from “Teenage Kicks”, the punk anthem from Derry’s own The Undertones. 45 years after the release of the song, the band has been immortalised on a wall overlooking THE historic City walls. Who better to create the new artwork than the man behind the Derry Girls mural, Karl Porter from UV Arts? The Talking Derry Girls caught up with Karl beside the new...

It is, unfortunately, not that often that the Talking Derry Girls find themselves on home soil together. Even then getting the three of them in the same place can prove to be an epic task. This visit Pauline and Jeanie went rogue on the Streets searching out some “old friends" of the Podcast. Christopher Ferry was first in their sights this week, his Derry Girls competition runs until mid December...

Derry Born and based, the formidable documentary filmmaker tells the Talking Derry Girls about her latest film. Currently showing at selected cinemas across the UK and Ireland, "Stolen" captures the anguish, anger and the horrors surrounding Ireland’s Mother and Baby Institutions.  A true Derry Girl Margo has a back catalogue of work which carries social injustice, particularly the rights of...

Award winning photographic artist Deirdre Brennan is on the look out for interesting Brigids. She tells the Talking Derry Girls how and why her latest project came about and how any would be subjects can get in touch. She is in Derry this week and has a spot or two still available. The artist is no stranger to the City having created an audio visual exhibition in Derry which marked the 51st Annive...

From Seamus Heaney to Fat Boy Slim, via the Cranberries, and Michelle Mallon inspiration, Shauna Bray. There was something in the Derry air last week and Talking Derry Girl’s Marie-Louise was in the thick of it. Discovering the truth about Derry Time, proving that Derry really is a City of singers and, yes, we really are all Derry Girls who know all the lyrics to “Dreams” by The Cranberries. Prepa...

Marie-Louise finds her true self and Jeanie discovers that the only member of her family to embrace their family identity is Charlie the dog. Meanwhile Pauline confesses to telling people that Marie-Louise is a girl to marry. 3 years since their first chat with "Derry Girls" creator Lisa McGee the girls are nostalgic about that memorable encounter..wonder if Lisa still prefers a cream fi...

This week the Talking Derry Girls are discussing when life imitates art. Who knew when Lisa McGee dreamt of Fat Boy Slim coming to Derry for a gig that a mere 25 or so "timeline years" later the gig would not only happen - but sell out in seconds? No incidents of queue jumping or violence recorded. A “Derry Girls” theme also takes over the City of Derry International Choir Festival with a mas...

Ten years after Lisa McGee's "London Irish" premiered on Channel 4 the Talking Derry Girls decided to take a closer look. Their binge watch raised some interesting questions - like when did you first video call and should Louis Walsh have been decommissioned as part of the Good Friday Agreement? We recommend watching the series yourself - mainly because it's class but also it might just help...

Ever modest the Talking Derry Girls don't often talk about their Irish Podcast Award…pause for Sister Michael - "What you actually want me to read this" - Anyhoo, the girls won the inaugural award in 2022 claiming Gold for best Arts and Culture Podcast.  This week they were in Derry attending a conference in the Guildhall marking 10 years since the "LegenDerry" City of Culture 2013. "Cracking...

"In the early morning the shirt factory horn Called the women from Creggan, The Moor and The Bog" It is not only in Phil Coulter songs that the women of Derry played such an important role. This week the TDGs hear more about life in and out of the factories. Lessons learnt, skills taught and confidences shared. Is there a difference between a rinser and a washer? Just how important was a headscarf...