Derry Girls: The Troubles Amidst Adolescence

By Malena Aponte

“Oh, my life is changing every day, in every possible way” (The Cranberries, 1993). This iconic song from the Irish alternative rock band plays four times throughout the hit TV show Derry Girls (McGee, 2018), marking pivotal moments of growth and transformation in the characters' lives. But despite the show’s recurring theme of change and character development, the presence of change is repeatedly challenged by the relatively static political and social background of the show.

Charting massive amounts of success, Derry Girls is a clever sitcom portraying the irreverent lives of a teenage friend group, set against the backdrop of the socio-political turmoil of the Northern Irish town of Derry during the 1990’s. The show’s setting is key, as the 90s were nearing the end of the decades-long Troubles, or the conflict between Catholic nationalists, who sought for the reunification of Ireland, and the Protestant unionists, who wanted Northern Ireland to remain a part of the United Kingdom. Derry itself, originally called Londonderry, was one of the most heavily impacted cities of the conflict. The conflict, which officially lasted from 1969 to 1998, saw frequent clashes between paramilitary groups such as the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and loyalist groups like the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF), as well as violent encounters with the British Army. One of the key moments in Derry’s history was the Bloody Sunday Massacre (1972), where British officers shot and killed fourteen unarmed Catholic youths during a civil rights march. This deepened the resentment between nationalists and loyalists and cemented the town as a historical landmark of the struggle.

British paratroopers take away civil rights demonstrators on 'Bloody Sunday' in 1972. Getty Images

Spanning nearly three decades, The Troubles was marked by a relentless cycle of riots, bombings, and paramilitary violence, making progress seem unattainable. In Derry Girls, this stagnation is subtly woven into the characters’ daily lives until the final season showed the Good Friday Agreement (1998), the peace agreement that officially made large progress in ending The Troubles. The final episode captures this sentiment of relief as the characters vote in the referendum, knowing that while the agreement promises a new future, the past decades of violence have made true progress feel uncertain.

While visiting Ireland this past summer, I knew I had to visit Derry. The show Derry Girls had impacted me, and along with its charm and wit, made me reflect on my own island’s state of limbo. I visited Bogside, the part of Derry where Bloody Sunday occurred along with many other protests and atrocities. A tour guide explained to me the remaining strain on the town, being that Bogside had a wire fence separating it from the rest of Derry, or the “Protestant side”, due to teenage misdemeanors. There were plenty of murals that spoke to the nationalist cause of The Troubles and the conflict’s pointless violence and harm towards the most innocent people. Yet, as I observed all of the murals and took my phone out for pictures–I stopped myself. There were kids my age walking past, going to the local shop to buy soda, and talking about football. I realized that they weren’t all that different from me, that despite their nation’s traumatic past and even current disputes and tensions, their family stayed. They stayed because behind the conflict there are also traditions and simple pleasures; Derry’s famous Halloween celebration, its tight-knit community, and the shared sense of resilience that defines the city. It struck me that while Derry Girls had introduced me to the humor and warmth of this place, standing there in the Bogside made me truly understand its depth.

Despite the ever-present conflict of The Troubles, life in Derry is portrayed in a strangely normal way, at least for those who had grown up in it. Military checkpoints, bomb threats, and political protests were routine, but so were house parties, gossiping at school, and sneaking out to meet boys. The unique atmosphere of 1990s Derry was one of dark humor and resilience, where people found ways to laugh even in the face of fear. The show captures this brilliantly, highlighting how for teenagers like Erin, the protagonist, and her friends, the biggest crises weren’t necessarily the ones happening in the streets, but rather failing exams, strict nuns, and embarrassing parents. The show humorously portrays adolescent aloofness, with characters prioritizing school dances and concerts even as chaos unfolds around them. Derry Girls shows the reality of so many communities that nowadays have to succumb to grit and conflict in order to acquire the key experiences each child should have: boyfriends, concerts, and friends that will always have your back. Living in Northern Ireland at this time may have been politically charged and a constant struggle, but for its residents, especially the youth, it was also just home.