Derry Girls creator Lisa McGee to be presented with Freedom of the City

The acclaimed Prehen writer will be conferred with the honour in front of family and friends at the Guildhall, five months after Derry City & Strabane District Council unanimously voted in favour of the move.

Lisa McGee will become the first woman to receive the Freedom of the City in her native city, after the award was proposed by SDLP councillor Martin Reilly, in recognition of the impact her groundbreaking programme had had on the city.

Reacting to the development back in June after the vote, Lisa McGee said: “Thank you so much! Stunned and shocked and very honoured.”

The accolade was awarded following the airing of the third and final series of the hit Channel 4 show earlier this year in the UK. And over recent weeks, fans across the world have been expressing their approval after Derry Girls Season 3 was released internationally via Netflix.

Speaking back in June after the vote, Councillor Reilly said: “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.

“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. 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.”

Mayor of Derry & Strabane Sandra Duffy, who will host a reception for Lisa McGee following the conferment on Monday, said back in June: “The success of Derry Girls has been absolutely immense.

"In the role of Mayor I have been able to meet with so many people who have come to the city. They are tourists, they come from all over and they are talking continuously about Derry Girls. It’s impact has been immense through the world.”