Derry Girls Mural: Orchard Street Landmark Guide

A Landmark of Modern Derry

Located on the gable wall of Badger's Bar and Restaurant on Orchard Street, the Derry Girls Mural stands as one of the most recognized public artworks in Derry/Londonderry. Positioned opposite the Foyleside Shopping Centre and just steps outside the historic 17th-century city walls near Ferryquay Gate, the large-scale painting depicts the five teenage protagonists of the acclaimed sitcom Derry Girls.

Created and written by Derry screenwriter Lisa McGee, Derry Girls premiered on Channel 4 in January 2018. Setting coming-of-age teenage experiences and regional humor against the backdrop of the Troubles in the 1990s, the comedy rapidly resonated with audiences to become the most-watched television series in Northern Ireland since modern records began.

Creation and Artists

Channel 4 commissioned the mural to mark the success of the debut series and promote the arrival of Season 2. Painted over approximately five days in January 2019, the installation was completed on January 23, 2019, by UV Arts, a Derry-based street art collective and non-profit social enterprise.

Three artists divided the labor to produce the two-storey, photorealistic portrait. Dave O'Hara rendered the expressive facial features, Raymond Boner painted the hair, and Karl Porter completed the distinctive green school uniforms of the fictional Our Lady Immaculate College. The mural portrays Erin Quinn (played by Saoirse-Monica Jackson), Orla McCool (Louisa Harland), Clare Devlin (Nicola Coughlan), Michelle Mallon (Jamie-Lee O'Donnell), and Michelle's English cousin James Maguire (Dylan Llewellyn). During the painting process, Nicola Coughlan drew international attention to the project when she shared an image online with the caption, "Derry is painting us like one of their French Girls, so surreal."

Evolution and the Season 3 Alteration

Although initially intended as a promotional campaign, the mural immediately gained permanent status due to its popularity with residents and travelers alike. It has since become an official city landmark and one of Northern Ireland's most photographed selfie locations, regularly featured on themed pop-culture itineraries and city walking trails.

In April 2022, ahead of the premiere of the sitcom's third and final series, UV Arts returned to Orchard Street to make a subtle adjustment to the artwork. The collective altered Michelle Mallon's hand, repainting her original two-finger peace sign into three raised fingers to celebrate the arrival of Season 3.

A Cultural Shift in Derry's Street Art

Derry holds an internationally renowned street-art heritage, rooted in the political murals of neighborhoods such as the Bogside and the Waterside. Historic sites like Free Derry Corner and the Bogside's People's Gallery have long served to commemorate civil rights movements, political divisions, and the Troubles.

Standing just below the 17th-century ramparts, the Derry Girls Mural marks a distinct shift in the city's mural tradition. Rather than addressing political or sectarian themes, the Orchard Street piece is celebrated locally as an entirely non-sectarian artwork that reflects contemporary cultural identity and shared humor, surrounded by the everyday bustle of Badger's Bar and shoppers passing Foyleside Shopping Centre.