DERRY GIRLS CREATOR Lisa McGee is to receive the Freedom of the City of Derry in recognition of the show’s “groundbreaking” impact.

The Derry City and Strabane District Council voted this evening to bestow the honour on McGee.

The Derry native will be the first woman to receive the city’s freedom. 

Previous recipients include John Hume, who was a key figure in creating peace in Northern Ireland, and, more recently, former Derry City football manager Jim McLaughlin.

SDLP councillor Martin Reilly, who proposed awarding the honour to McGee, said that he was “delighted” the council agreed.

The council will now look to find a date to convene a special meeting to confer the award.

“People recognise the contribution Lisa’s work has made to the civic pride of this council area and the boost to the tourism sector that her writing has created,” Reilly said in a statement.

“Lisa will be the first woman to receive the Freedom of the City of Derry so today’s vote marks a unique and important step in our civic history,” he said.

“So many formidable women have left their positive mark on this city over the generations, but the Freedom of the City has been the preserve of men for far too long.

“I’m glad that my proposal this evening has ended that inequality and Lisa can be proud that her creation of ‘Derry Girls’ has broken that mould.”

McGee wrote on Twitter this evening that she was “stunned and shocked and very honoured”.

Set in Derry in the 1990s, Derry Girls became an instant hit when its first season aired in 2018 on Channel 4.

It was renewed for another two seasons, with its final episode airing last month.

McGee’s previous credits span across theatre and television, including RTÉ drama Raw and Channel 4 sitcom London Irish.

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