Ardal O'Hanlon to guest star in Derry Girls series 2

The actor, best known to audiences for his role as witless priest Dougal Maguire in Irish sitcom Father Ted, will play "Eamonn, the awkward, middle-aged mummy’s boy of the Quinn/McCool extended family", according to a release from Channel 4.

"Ardal O'Hanlon joins our family this year, which is brilliant," the actress, who plays Erin Quinn, told RadioTimes.com.

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Nicola Coughlan (Claire) added that Eamonn is "a real Irish stereotype" – but that he's "not a priest".

"I think it's something that everybody will recognise, and he completely gets it so on the money," she said. "It was really surreal, just looking at him, because he's such an iconic figure in Ireland, and he's such a lovely man. He's so good in it."

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She went on to describe a hairy situation on set where she and her fellow cast members were told off for "bullying" their new co-star.

"There’s a scene where it gets quite physical, and [writer and creator] Lisa [McGee] came over. She was like, ‘Don't bully Ardal’. And we were like, 'We’re not bullying him, he’s like a national treasure!' 'Cause we had to like go for it in the scene."

O'Hanlon, currently starring in BBC1's Death in Paradise, will have seen a lot in his time, but coming up against these hilarious young girls will be another thing altogether, and we can't wait to see how it plays out.

Derry Girls series 2 will air on Channel 4 this March