Lisa McGee first woman to receive Freedom of the City
Creator of Derry Girls 'stunned and shocked and very honoured
The creator of 'Derry Girls', Lisa McGee, has become the first woman to receive the Freedom of the City.
Derry and Strabane councillors last night voted unanimously voted to award her the prestigious honour.
SDLP councillor, Martin Reilly, proposed awarding the honour to Ms McGee, in recognition of the impact her groundbreaking programme had had on the city.
Speaking after the vote, Councillor Reilly said: “I’m delighted Council has agreed to put Lisa McGee’s name forward to receive the Freedom of the City.
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"The next step is now to fix a date that suits Lisa and convene a dedicated special meeting of the council to confer the honour upon her. Since the announcement last week, there has been a very positive public reaction to the proposal. 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.”
Reacting to the news of her award, Lisa said she was "stunned and shocked and very honoured".