Saltee Island, Ireland.

The Northern Ireland Conflict Through the Lens of Derry Girls

Derry Girls is a critically acclaimed Irish comedy TV show that was first broadcasted on British Channel 4 and later became available for streaming on Netflix. Despite being a comedy series, Derry Girls had the long-drawn Northern Ireland conflict, also called “The Troubles,” woven into the storyline.

The show is set in the 1990s Londonderry and shows the coming-of-age struggles of a group of high school girls. The lighthearted comedy sheds light on the conflict in Northern Ireland and concludes with the end of the conflict as The Good Friday Agreement comes into effect.

In this blog, we’re going to discuss the roots of this conflict and what it meant for the country.

Roots of The Troubles

On the surface and as shown in Derry Girls, it may seem like The Troubles had religious roots because the two fighting sides were Catholics and Protestants. In truth, The Troubles go back all the way to the 1800s when factions of Irish people began fighting for emancipation from the English. It was during this time that the loyalists and unionists (who happened to be Protestants) supported the United Kingdom, while nationalists (who were largely Catholic) wanted Northern Ireland to separate from the UK.

The split was observed because of the British laws that gave more power to the Protestants and control of the majority of land in the country. While the seeds were sown in the 1800s, it wasn’t until the 1960s that The Troubles began in full swing.

Life During The Troubles

During The Troubles, there were small-scale riots that happened every few days. There were also mass protests and civil disobedience movements observed across Northern Ireland and regular disagreements between the two groups. The entire period of The Troubles, which lasted more than three decades, can be characterized as a low-level war, as more than 3,500 lives were lost during this time.

The End of The Troubles

In 1998, The Troubles finally ended when the Northern Ireland peace process was initiated, and the paramilitary ceasefire began. The Good Friday Agreement also came into effect, which gave autonomy to Northern Ireland and accepted the principle of consent in political, civil, policing, and disarmament rights.

Benbulbin, Co. Sligo, Ireland.

Needless to say, The Troubles shown in Derry Girls were simply an extension of the existing problems that started in the 1800s and ones that caused mass displacement of the Irish diaspora across the world.

If you want to learn more about Irish history or have Irish ancestors, you’re in the right place. Our team at My Ireland Family Heritage can help you see the historic side of the country.

Our team of genealogy researchers can also trace your Irish roots and plan genealogy tours of Ireland so you can see all the historic Irish sites as seen on Derry Girls in real-time. The best part is, if you hire us, you can get Irish ancestry research and family heritage tour packages all under one roof.

Contact us today to learn more about our services, and book a trip with us now!

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Customised Genealogy & Historical Tour

Review of My Ireland Heritage Tours Presented on Trip adviser Oct 2024 By • Family TomBarron2013 New York City, NY2

Once in a lifetime experience

Oct 2024 • Family

We highly recommend My Ireland Heritage for anyone who wants to learn and be guided to their Irish “roots” and much, much more. Sean Quinn and Ian Darragh of My Ireland Family Heritage have deep knowledge or the areas we wanted to visit in Meath, Sligo and Kilkenny. While we knew about one side of the family history back to 1690, there was nothing known about the other that arrived in the US in the 1870s.

Ian, Sean, and Nicola did thorough research on our localities and locations from which our ancestors left for America in 1849 and later. In addition, Ian and Sean did separate day-long “recons” in advance of our time with them, seeking out local people and the specific properties with maps and whatever records still available. Their results were absolutely outstanding! In both our cases, they found and took us to our still-existing cottages and shops from the early 1820s.

It was so enjoyable to be with Ian for three days and for a special day with Sean. Whether it was the Newgrange World Heritage sites 5,500 years old , the Battle of the Boyne 1690 , or the local cemeteries and churches of our ancestors. Ian was especially attentive to my wife throughout the travels after she twisted her ankle in a rain-soaked old cemetery.

Throughout the process of trip preparation over months to giving us the final, wonderful books of Meath and Sligo, Aisling was highly professional and responsive with all the many details. The bound books she prepared are treasures! Thanks to all for truly exceptional experiences.

Newgrange World Unesco Site 5500 years old
Battle of the Boyne 1690 AD
Customised Historical Tours Trim Castle
Entrance stone at Newgrange

Self Drive Product

Review of My Ireland Heritage Tours Presented on Trip adviser by Shelley L @ sjlively

Exceptional in every way!

Over the last few months of preparing for our trip, every single detail was meticulously attended, not only professionally, but helpfully, and in such a friendly manner, that I felt as if I knew Sean, Aisling and Ian before I even stepped off the plane.

The amount of work these wonderful people put into our personal history is mindboggling. My mother was an avid amateur genealogist, and had worked for decades to bring to light the trail our family took, but our resources are limited.

Sean knows exactly where to look, and was able to fill in so many gaps that had eluded us for generations. Some of the information he found, unbeknownst even to him, actually solidified the findings we had amassed over the years. Ours was a family in coal mining – I only found on our tour that they had originated from a mining area, and their arrival on the  border coincided exactly with the decline in the mining industry in County Wicklow.

I would have been overjoyed simply with the knowledge of why they left when they did, about 12 years before the famine. Breaking through our brick wall of great grandparents even farther back on the family tree was a dream come true, but to be able to set foot on not only the area they lived, and find that the house is still there was overwhelming. Seeing the family church and cemetery where our ancestors and extended family still rest is a truly moving experience.

The care taken by this company in each and every aspect of the journey cannot be overstated. Only about 2 weeks prior to my trip, Sean contacted me to let me know that he had also stumbled across some of my husband’s family name in the process and included them as well in his research. How often can anyone say that they not only got what they paid for, but more than they ever imagined? I can say that. They were even kind enough to answer a few follow-up questions after my return home, as I was so stunned on my tour with Ian that I didn’t think ask at the time.If you have the opportunity to make the trip to Ireland, contact My Ireland Family Heritage before you go.

If your family was there, Sean will go above and beyond to find them. Even without family, contact them anyway. Ian is a walking encyclopedia of history, and so fun to talk to. Aisling will make sure every “I” is dotted, and every “T” is crossed.  Thank you so much for the trip of a lifetime, and the opportunity to pass on everything we have discovered to future generations

The Consultation at Hotel / Office or by Phone opens all doors
Genealogy gets you off the Beaten Track to see the Real Ireland

Unique to Every Address with My Ireland Family Research