Derry Girls cast: Where are they now? Keeping up with the talented ensemble

Derry Girls cast members, including Nicola Coughlan, Saoirse-Monica Jackson, Louisa Harland, Jamie-Lee O'Donnell, and Dylan Llewellyn, have thriving acting careers. The period teen sitcom set in Derry, Northern Ireland, transformed its main stars into household names and launched the careers of some of them. Derry Girls aired on Channel 4 from 2018 to 2022.

Key takeaways

• Derry Girls follows a group of five teenage friends navigating high school and adolescence in 1990s Northern Ireland.
• The five main characters at Our Lady Immaculate College in Derry Girls are portrayed by Nicola Coughlan, Saoirse-Monica Jackson, Louisa Harland, Jamie-Lee O'Donnell, and Dylan Llewellyn.
• The main Derry Girls stars have successful acting careers, including Nicola Coughlan as a Bridgerton megastar and Dylan Llewellyn as a British TV star on Big Boys and Beyond Paradise.

Keeping up with the Derry Girls cast now

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Derry Girls was created by Irish screenwriter Lisa McGee, who drew from her experiences growing up in Northern Ireland. The series premiered on January 4, 2018, on Channel 4 and ran for three seasons, concluding with the final episode on May 18, 2022.

The period teen sitcom, which is often considered one of the best Irish comedy TV shows, is also available to global audiences on Netflix. Here are the whereabouts of the Derry Girls cast since 2022:

1. Saoirse-Monica Jackson (Erin Quinn)

• Full name: Saoirse-Monica Jackson
• Date of birth: November 24, 1993
• Age: 32 years old (as of July 2026)
• Place of birth: Derry, Northern Ireland
• Social media: Instagram

Saoirse-Monica Jackson gained recognition for her breakout role as Erin Quinn in Derry Girls. Her performance in the Channel 4 hit comedy series earned her a nomination for the IFTA Gala Television Award for Best Female Performance.

Since portraying Erin from 2018 to 2022, Saoirse-Monica Jackson has continued to build her acting career with roles in various projects, including the DC superhero movie The Flash (2023), The Doll Factory (2023), The Decameron (2024), The City Is Ours (2025), and How to Get to Heaven from Belfast (2026).

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Saoirse-Monica Jackson is now married to Scottish DJ and music producer Hector Barbour, known by his stage name, Denis Sulta. The couple started dating in 2021 and got engaged in 2023 before tying the knot in August 2025. Saoirse-Monica and Denis Sulta reside in Liverpool.

2. Louisa Harland (Orla McCool)

• Full name: Louisa Clare Harland
• Date of birth: January 31, 1993
• Age: 33 years old (as of July 2026)
• Place of birth: Dublin, Ireland
• Social media: Instagram

Louisa Harland became a household name in Ireland and the UK for her standout performance as Orla McCool in Derry Girls. The Irish actress has continued to act with roles in the Disney+ series Renegade Nell (2024), Big Boys (2023), Joy (2024), Hamnet (2025), The Walsh Sisters (2025), and A Woman's Work (2026).

Louisa Harland began her career in 2011 after landing a recurring role as Kayleigh in season two of the RTÉ One series Love/Hate. The Irish actress later appeared in the films Rob Burke's Standby (2014) and Woody Harrelson's Lost in London (2017). Louisa has also performed extensively in theatre productions across London.

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3. Nicola Coughlan (Clare Devlin)

• Full name: Nicola Mary Coughlan
• Date of birth: January 9, 1987
• Age: 39 years old (as of July 2026)
• Place of birth: Galway, Ireland
• Social media: Instagram

Nicola Coughlan initially gained recognition for portraying Clare Devlin in Derry Girls. Beyond the Channel 4 series, the Irish actress achieved global fame for playing Penelope Featherington in the Netflix Bridgerton series, which earned her a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination.

The popular blonde actress appeared in the 2023 blockbuster movie Barbie as Diplomat Barbie and starred as Maggie Donovan in the Channel 4 comedy drama Big Mood (2024 to date). Nicola has also appeared in The Magic Faraway Tree (2026), Doctor Who (2024), and GOAT (2026).

The Bridgerton star is in a relationship with British actor Jake Dunn, who is known for portraying Thomas in the Disney+ fantasy series Renegade Nell. Nicola Coughlan and Dunn were first linked in August 2024 and confirmed the romance in February 2025.

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4. Jamie-Lee O'Donnell (Michelle Mallon)

• Full name: Jamie-Lee O'Donnell
• Date of birth: March 4, 1987
• Age: 39 years old (as of July 2026)
• Place of birth: Derry, Northern Ireland
• Social media: Instagram

Jamie-Lee O'Donnell's breakout role was the foul-mouthed but fiercely loyal Michelle Mallon in Derry Girls. The Northern Irish actress has remained active in the UK entertainment industry. She starred in the Channel 4 drama Screw as Rose Gill from 2022 to 2023 and released her 2022 documentary The Real Derry: Jamie-Lee O'Donnell.

In January 2023, Jamie-Lee starred in a folk horror film, Unwelcome, alongside Hannah John-Kamen, Douglas Booth, and Colm Meaney. The Northern Irish star has also appeared in Redeeming Love (2022), Faithless (2025), Leonard and Hungry Paul (2025), and The Feud (2025).

5. Dylan Llewellyn (James Maguire)

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• Full name: Dylan John Llewellyn
• Date of birth: September 10, 1992
• Age: 33 years old (as of July 2026)
• Place of birth: Surrey, England, UK
• Social media: Instagram

Dylan John Llewellyn's breakout role was in Derry Girls as James Maguire, the only boy in the group and the first male student at an all-girls high school. From 2022 to 2025, the English actor starred in Channel 4's Big Boys as Jack.

Since 2023, Dylan Llewellyn has been portraying PC Kelby Hartford in the BBC One show Beyond Paradise, a spin-off of the popular detective drama Death in Paradise. In his February 2025 interview with Rolling Stone UK, Dylan said that he hopes to venture into other genres beyond comedy.

I would love to explore more, and do more dramas or thrillers. I'd love to get into horror. I love horror! I'm very, very open minded, but there will always be a spot in my heart for the comedy pieces.

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Leah O'Rourke (Jenny Joyce)

• Full name: Leah O'Rourke
• Date of birth: November 12, 1988
• Age: 37 years old (as of July 2026)
• Place of birth: Newry, County Down, Northern Ireland

Leah O'Rourke had the recurring role of Jenny Joyce, the main gang's antagonist and law-abiding school prefect at Our Lady Immaculate College in Derry Girls. The Northern Irish actress has remained active in the entertainment industry with roles in The Knife (2025) and The Spin (2026).

Siobhán McSweeney (Sister Michael)

• Full name: Siobhán McSweeney
• Date of birth: December 27, 1977
• Age: 48 years old (as of July 2026)
• Place of birth: Aherla, County Cork, Ireland
• Social media: Instagram

Siobhán McSweeney gained recognition as the Derry Girls cast nun, Sister Michael. Her impressive performance in the series earned her a BAFTA Television Award for Best Female Comedy Performance in 2023.

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Since Derry Girls, Siobhán McSweeney has appeared in Nine Bodies in a Mexican Morgue (2025), Amandaland (2025), and Extraordinary (2023-2024). McSweeney has also been a TV presenter and host on The Traitors Ireland (2025) and The Great Pottery Throw Down (2021 to date).

Kathy Kiera Clarke (Aunt Sarah)

• Full name: Kathy Kiera Clarke
• Date of birth: January 1, 1975
• Age: 51 years old (as of July 2026)
• Place of birth: Belfast, Northern Ireland

Kathy Kiera Clarke has been acting since the early 1990s and is most recognized for portraying Aunt Sarah in Derry Girls. After the Channel 4 series, she featured in Dead Man's Money (2024) as Widow Maureen Tweed and The Contraception Fair (2025) as The Pill.

The London-based Northern Irish actress is also a veteran stage performer in major UK theatres. Kathy Kiera Clarke told The Irish Times in 2025 that, even though she had been in show business for over three decades, most people only recognise her for her role in Derry Girls.

I feel like everything I did before doesn't exist in many ways. And I find that frustrating. I played Lady Macbeth. I played Medea. I've done Schiller. I've done all of this, and it's sort of like that doesn't exist.

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Tommy Tiernan (Gerry Quinn)

• Full name: Tommy Tiernan
• Date of birth: June 16, 1969
• Age: 57 years old (as of July 2026)
• Place of birth: Carndonagh, Donegal, Ireland
• Social media: Instagram

Tommy Tiernan portrayed Erin's father, Gerry Quinn, in Derry Girls. He also had roles in Conversations with Friends (2022) and Joyride (2022). Tiernan is a renowned stand-up comedian in Ireland and the UK. He hosts the critically acclaimed RTE show The Tommy Tiernan Show.

How old were the actresses when filming Derry Girls?

The majority of the Derry Girls cast in season 1 were in their 20s, portraying mid-teenage high school students. Nicola Coughlan was the oldest star at 30 during the first season's filming, while Saoirse-Monica was the youngest at 23. The ages of the Derry Girls cast in season 3 are as highlighted:

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Are Derry Girls friends in real life?

The main Derry Girls cast are close friends in real life. They have spoken about their strong bond in interviews. In a 2019 interview with JOE, Nicola Coughlan (Clare) shared that the cast lived in the same apartment block during filming in Belfast, leading to frequent gatherings.

We all lived in the same apartment block, so there was a lot of wine drinking in each other's flats.

Derry Girls was a launchpad for most of the stars' acting careers. Dylan Llewellyn told The Guardian in 2024 that the show "saved" his life as he was almost giving up on finding roles before he got the call that he had been cast. On his bond with the cast, Dylan told the publication:

I love the girls. They're like my sisters. It was a big part of all of our acting careers to go through it together.

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FAQs

• Are the Derry Girls cast all Irish? Most of the Derry Girls cast are Irish and Northern Irish, except Dylan Llewellyn, who is English, like his character James.
• Why was Claire written out of Derry Girls? Clare Devlin was not written out of Derry Girls, but Nicola Coughlan had limited availability during the final season due to her commitments to Bridgerton. This led to her having a smaller role in some episodes.
• Where is Orla from Derry Girls now? Louisa Harland, who played Orla, has since starred in the Disney+ series Renegade Nell and The Walsh Sisters. Her latest role was as Jolene Harper in the 2026 film A Woman's Work.
• Is anyone from Derry Girls in How to Get to Heaven from Belfast? Yes. Northern Irish actress Saoirse-Monica Jackson portrays Feeney in the Netflix dark comedy series.
• Is Orla autistic in Derry Girls? Orla is not explicitly stated to be autistic in Derry Girls, but the character displays traits often associated with autism. Her traits include literal thinking, missing social cues, covering her ears during loud noises, and having unique interests.
• Was Derry Girls a true story? Derry Girls is based on a partially true story. The events of the Channel 4 series were inspired by writer Lisa McGee's experiences growing up in Derry, Northern Ireland, during the 1990s.
• Where did they film Derry Girls? The Channel 4 series is set in Derry, Northern Ireland. Filming took place in Derry and Belfast, Northern Ireland.
• Who is the oldest Derry girl in real life? Actress Nicola Coughlan was the oldest. She was 31 when the show premiered in January 2018 and was 35 when the third and final season aired in May 2022.

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Conclusion

The Derry Girls cast has continued to take the UK entertainment industry by storm, taking on exciting new roles across TV and film. While the stellar ensemble has moved on to different projects, their on-screen chemistry in the teen sitcom and the show's lasting impact keep them connected to fans worldwide.

Legit.ng published the current whereabouts of the Girlfriends cast members. The iconic 2000s sitcom aired on UPN and The CW for eight seasons from 2000 to 2008.

Girlfriends followed four Black women living in Los Angeles juggling careers, romance, and friendships. The CW sitcom starred Trace Ellis Ross, Jill Marie Jone, Golden Brooks, Persia White, and Reggie Hayes.

Source: Legit.ng