Siobhán McSweeney: British 'have to look to a comedy' to learn about Northern Ireland

The Cork actress believes Derry Girls is like a 'free education' about the recent history of Northern Ireland

Fr Peter and Sister Michael in Derry Girls

Siobhán McSweeney, best known as Sister Michael on Derry Girls, says the beloved sitcom is educating people in Britain about Northern Ireland. 

Speaking after the show's final episode focused on the Good Friday Agreement, she said it was "powerful" that the show educated British people through comedy.

"I think the most powerful thing about the show was that it uses comedy for really quite serious messages and quite historic, not even that historic, aspects," she told BBC Radio 4.

Siobhán said there is a huge number of people in Britain who do not know the history of Northern Ireland.

"I've woken up this morning to, no word of a lie, hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of messages. At least three-quarters of them are; 'Derry Girls has taught me more about the history of Northern Ireland and Britain than anything I was taught in school.'

She described the lack of awareness of Northern Iris politics and history as an "absolute disgrace". 

There's such a gap in the educational system here that they have to look to a comedy to find out about Northern Irish politics that still have an effect today. 

"I think it shows how good the medium of comedy can be to spread a message, to spread information. 

"The fact of the matter is, this is one of Channel Four's biggest comedies. It nurtured it, it commissioned it and ensured that it was broadcast into every house that had a television license last night and that is a free education. 

"Not bad for a sitcom. Not bad for a laugh."

When asked by host Simon Jack whether she feels it is a timely moment to be showcasing the Good Friday Agreement, Siobhán responded that it is.

"I feel like the timing could not be more apt. What it shows is how the past is not the past. It's always with us. The Good Friday Agreement was hard-won, and hard-fought for and the people of Northern Ireland voted for it. Now it's in danger of being attacked through ignorance. Yet again, it goes back to that idea, a sitcom is teaching the people of this country about the history of Northern Ireland. That's not how it should be. 

"I feel it's incredibly poignant that we watch the Derry girls, we watch Sister Michael, we watch Fr Peter and we watch the grownups head off at the end, full of hope, full of tentative hope, for peace, for reconciliation, for the future, for the young people and what their future is, and we cut to now and that is in danger and it breaks my heart."