There were proud moments for Lisa McGee yesterday as she became the first woman to be conferred with the Freedom of the City of Derry.
The world-renowned playwright, screenwriter and creator of the hugely popular Derry Girls series joins the likes of John Hume, Phil Coulter and Winston Churchill in receiving the Council’s highest accolade.
Lisa was joined by her husband Tobias Beer, their two sons, her parents and family for the honour at the Guildhall on Monday.
Speaking at the ceremony, Lisa said: “I am immensely proud to be from Derry.
“As a writer working in television, an industry notoriously tough to break into and to survive in, being from Derry has always felt like my superpower.”
Mayor of Derry City and Strabane Sandra Duffy said she was honoured and proud to confer the award from one Derry Girl to another.
Cllr Duffy said: “I am so delighted that we have acknowledged her remarkable career that has seen her create and produce a wide range of TV and film material, that has achieved international acclaim.
“While Lisa is mainly known for her fantastic Derry Girls series, she has also been hugely successful for a number of other major TV credits including the BBC3’s The Things I Haven’t Told You, the BAFTA nominated Being Human and the popular Channel 4 sitcom London Irish and Raw, to name but a few.
“Born and reared in the city, Lisa is extremely proud of her Derry roots and has never forgotten her home city.
“We are all so proud of her and the way in which she has depicted Derry and its people in her work.
She has successfully captured the city and its people, their unique humour, warmth and resilience and we are over the moon to be in a position to recognise her work in this way.
“It is a fitting tribute that she is the first woman to be conferred with the Freedom of the City and District title.”
