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An exhibition inspired by hit-series Derry Girls has drawn a record number of visitors to Londonderry’s Tower Museum
Lauren Heath-Jones | Planet Attractions | 21 Aug 2023
Derry Girls debuted in 2018 to critical acclaim Credit: Channel 4
The Derry Girls Experience at the Tower Museum in Londonderry has attracted a record number of visitors to the museum in Northern Ireland since opening in July.
The exhibition, which features a collection of props and costumes from the popular television show, has been a huge draw for the museum.
According to statistics from the Derry City and Strabane District Council, the institution has received more than 10,000 visitors over the past four weeks - its highest number of visitors over a four-week period since the museum opened in 1992.
In June, the month before the experience launched, the museum had 2,399 visitors, that number rose to 7,780 in July following the exhibition’s opening. The museum reports that its already surpassed the 17,600 visitors it received in 2022.
Derry’s mayor Patricia Logue said that the show “heightened the international profile of the city,” adding that the exhibition had “more than doubled” Derry’s projected visitor numbers.
The exhibition includes original set pieces and props from the hit series CREDIT: TOWER MUSEUM
The internationally-acclaimed series, which ran on Channel 4 in the UK from 2018 to 2022, is set in the early- to mid-nineties during the final years of the Troubles and follows five teenagers; Erin, Orla, Clare, Michelle and James as they navigate life against the backdrop of the conflict.
Among its exhibits are the main cast’s school uniforms and Spice Girls costumes, as well as Ma Mary’s sweater, Aunt Sarah’s pyjamas, Erin’s diary, Sister Michael’s chair and the repaired Child of Prague statue.
The experience also includes the character’s voter IDs, a ballot box from the Good Friday Agreement, Fat Boy Slim tickets and packaging from snack foods such as Pop-Tarts and Tayto crisps.
According to Visit Derry CEO Odhran Dunne, Derry Girls The Experience has received visitors from 34 countries. Meanwhile, the chief executive of the body tasked with promoting Derry as a tourist destination said that the exhibition was playing a “key role” in promoting the city.
Items on display include Fat Boy Slim Tickets and the characters’ voting IDs CREDIT: TOWER MUSEUM
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