SquaresRenew 28: Derry Girls (and boys)

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Derry Girls mural

Street art, whether political or popular culture, is a great way to renew a city’s place in the tourist industry, especially in the age of social media. I was ambivalent about yesterday’s murals, but I can’t quibble with the joy coming out of today’s two!

Derry Girls (above) is a TV comedy about five teenagers set in the early 1990s. As with Game of Thrones in Belfast, I have to confess ignorance as I have never seen the show, so I didn’t recognise any of the locations. However, I knew about the mural and was looking out for it as we walked the city walls.

Undertones mural and memorabilia in the Scullery Café

Further round, the Undertones were a surprise – I had forgotten this 1970s band came from Derry.  Their greatest hit, Teenage Kicks, was the late John Peel’s favourite record, so much so that I believe he once played it twice on the same show. I’ve had to cheat with this image because I couldn’t square the mural without losing at least one of the figures, so I’ve combined it with part of another picture. A whole wall in the Scullery Café where we had lunch is devoted to Undertones posters and tickets. I think they might be fans.

The career of the Undertones’ lead singer, Feargal Sharkey, has taken an unlikely move forward.  He is now better known as an environmental campaigner, specifically against the pollution of rivers and other waterways. But I remember him best for this – altogether now:

I wanna hold her, wanna hold her tight
Get teenage kicks right through the night

Part of Becky’s SquaresRenew Challenge, using images from our April 2024 trip to Northern Ireland to illustrate one or more of the following:

  • Move forward
  • Reconstruct
  • Renew
  • Burgeoning
Northern Ireland, UK , , ,

43 Comments »

  2. Hi Anabel – I’d missed both those … 1970s ones and the recent Derry Girls … but Feargal Sharkey’s name rings a bell … the murals are amazing … so talented – cheers Hilary

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  4. Oh I love Derry Girls. Funny with a great nineties soundtrack which reminds me of my younger days. Its very funny, give it a go. I remember Fergal Sharkey singing a song called A Good Heart in the 80s as a solo artist. 🙂

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  10. Claim to fame. In Derry we were admiring the mural (Kim is a big fan) and were approached by a reporter and cameraman from BBC Ulster who was covering the announcement of a second series and he interviewed us an we appeared on the local news that evening.

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  14. Thanks for the music Anabel, that track brought back a few memories. Love the first mural, my son watches Derry Girls and likes it but it’s not something I’m interested in.

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  15. Didn’t mind Teenage Kicks as a catchy pop song but Sinead O Connor’s early LP’s were a different class of songwriting originality and singing altogether. One of the greatest modern artists to come out of Ireland on a completely different level of talent despite her own self sabotage attempts on her career later on. Bob. BSS.

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