The Channel 4/Netflix 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 over 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, from Bill Clinton’s trip to Ireland to a runaway polar bear. 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, Derry Girls 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 stories that added color to the series, there are more real-life historical events from Derry Girls‘ final season.

Take That Concert

The Boy Band Did Perform In Ireland During This Time

Among the many real-world events mentioned in the show, some are truly impactful for Ireland as a whole while others only captured the attention of young girls at the time. The Manchester-bred pop group Take That was at 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 in Belfast in 1993 and 1994 (via News Groove). Even though season 2 is set in 1995, the storyline might be referencing either one of these concerts. The concert came at a striking time for the band as Take That suffered major setbacks in 1995 when Robbie Williams departed to pursue a solo career in music while the band split up a year later.

Weeping Virgin Mary

The Misunderstanding Is Based On Several Real-Life Events

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 have been observed in various countries over the years. Some of these are cases of fraud or misunderstanding (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 (via Irish Times).

Bill Clinton’s Visit To Derry

A Real-Life Clinton Family Member Appears In The Show

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 in catching a glimpse of the then-American President while Sister Michael (Siobhan McSweeney) refuses to give a day off to her students so they can attend the political event.

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. To further add to the real-world connection, Chelsea Clinton cameos in Derry Girls‘ finale as herself in modern days having finally received the letter the girls wrote to her.

1998 Omagh Bombing References

The First Season Ended With A Very Similar Event

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 (via BBC).

The show itself doesn’t directly address the real-world event and keeps the details vague about just what it was. It was meant to reflect the ongoing fighting that would occasionally lead to a shocking moment like this. Even without directly speaking to it, Derry Girls effectively shows the fear and uncertainty these bombings and acts of violence brought about in the Irish people. In the words of showrunner Lisa McGee (via Radio Times):

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

The Real-Life Parades Has A Controversial Legacy

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 byparades 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 Erin’s family in Derry Girls as they plan to spend the holiday in an Irish county to avoid the Orange walks altogether. It makes for a funny road trip episode for the sitcom while also speaking to the real-life issue. Derry Girls excelled at being able to highlight the conflict of Ireland at the time in a more grounded way, seeing it through the view of this one family who, while not in the heart of the conflict, still felt the impact of it.

The Chernobyl Disaster

The Episode Featured Victims Of The 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 (via BBC). The tragedy was examined in the HBO miniseries Chernobyl.

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. Once again, the show is able to address devastating and serious world issues while also using the humor of its tone. It does not come off as disrespectful but instead finds its laughs through the actions of the characters rather than the circumstances surrounding them.

1994 Ceasefire

The Event Signaled A Step Toward Peace

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 enhancing the democratic processes and restoring peace (via BBC).

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 Episode Addresses The Real-World Conflict Through The Young People’s Perspective

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!

It makes for a brilliant way of addressing the real-world conflict through the coming-of-age show’s comedy. While the rest of the country is consumed with the conflict and the fighting between them, these girls are far more concerned with getting boyfriends and the status of their romantic lives. The episode also comments on the divide between these people of Ireland with the meeting devolving into the students making a list of similarities and a much more extensive list of petty differences.

Polar Bear Escape

The Real-Life Escaped Polar Bear Remains A Local Legend

While one of the many mysteries on Lost that went nowhere was the question of what a polar bear was doing on the island, Derry Girls proves to be a lot more effective with its simple storyline of the runaway polar bear. 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 (via BBC). 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

The Troubles Was A Long-Lasting Conflict In Ireland

The Troubles had an adverse impact on the Irish populace, especially in the 1970s and the 1980s. There have been a number of movies and shows that have explored the subject in the past, including Kenneth Branagh’s Oscar-winning Belfast, which like Derry Girls, is a semi-autobiographical story. 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 prom scene, “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 (via BBC).

Clare’s Father Dies

The Moment Is Based On A Real Personal Tragedy

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. However, the show excels at feeling authentic and grounded by drawing from personal experiences as well which creates a rich depiction of these young girls during a pivotal time in their lives. 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. It is an example of how the show was so effective in combining heightened comedic humor with very real dramatic moments.

The Good Friday Agreement

The Real-Life Peace Talks Delivered A Hopeful Ending

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 wouldserve 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.

In one memorable moment, Erin asks Granda Joe if the agreement should be signed as it might not stop the fighting, however, he suggests it is worth signing because it might. This seems to reflect a modern look at relations in Ireland which are far from perfect yet seem to strive for peace. While Derry Girls season 4 doesn’t seem likely, it would be interesting to see what the show would look like now.

Clare’s Father Dies

The Moment Is Based On A Real Personal Tragedy