Everything We Know So Far About Lisa McGee’s New Netflix Comedy
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2 weeks ago
The woman behind Derry Girls is back with a brand new thriller-comedy next month
Multi-award winning Derry Girls creator Lisa McGee is back on the small screen. Her new comedy thriller How To Get To Heaven From Belfast follows three life-long friends who set about investigating the murder of the estranged fourth member of their childhood gang. Featuring a whole host of Irish stars and originally slated to land on Channel 4, here’s everything we know so far, plus the release date next month.
Sinead Keenan as Robyn Winters, Caoilfhionn Dunne as Dara Friel & Roisin Gallagher as Saoirse Shaw. (Christopher Barr/Netflix)
How To Get To Heaven From Belfast: Plot, Cast, Release Date & More
Like Derry Girls, How To Get To Heaven From Belfast is another story about Irish women and their friendships. Instead of school girls though How To Get To Heaven From Belfast will centre on three friends in their late thirties who have been friends since school. But now they are leading very different lives: Saoirse (Roísín Gallagher) is a successful TV writer with a tendency to self-destruct; Robyn (Sinéad Keenan) is a sweary but glamorous stressed out mother of three boys; and Dara (Caoilfhionn Dunne), still living in her teenage bedroom, is a full-time carer of an elderly parent.
(© Christopher Barr/Netflix)
What Will Happen?
When an email arrives informing Saoirse, Robyn and Dara of the death of their childhood gang’s estranged fourth member, they are drawn into a thrilling adventure. Seeking to untangle their friend Greta’s (Natasha O’Keeffe) mysterious death, a series of eerie events whisks the women on a dark and dangerous odyssey through Ireland, from Belfast to rural Donegal.
And of course since this is Lisa McGee’s writing, we can expect lots of laughs along the way, too. In fact McGee called on the creative team behind Derry Girls (including director Michael Lennox) to bring the same hilarious alchemy to How To Get To Heaven From Belfast.
The screenwriter tells Netflix: ‘This is the show I’ve always wanted to make; a mash‑up of my two favorite genres, mystery and comedy. We want to keep you guessing and keep you laughing. I can’t wait for you to meet Saoirse, Robyn and Dara, and go on this wild, weird adventure with them — an Irish odyssey — full of twists, turns, and arguments about eyelash extensions.’
Watch the trailer below for a taste of the action.
After launching on Channel 4 streaming in 2018, Derry Girls became the British broadcaster’s biggest ever comedy. It went on to become the most successful Northern Ireland series since modern records began in 2002.
Saoirse Monica Jackson as Feeney in How To Get To Heaven From Belfast. (© Netflix/Christopher Barr)
The Cast
McGee says she is ‘in awe of this cast, their talent, timing and chemistry’, having tapped Irish talent from the likes of Blue Lights, Game of Thrones, Kin, Peaky Blinders and even Heartstopper to star in her new series. Plus for any Derry Girls fans, you’ll spot a cameo from Saoirse Monica Jackson in the trailer.
The full cast we know so far is as follows:
- Roísín Gallagher as Saoirse
- Sinéad Keenan as Robyn
- Caoilfhionn Dunne as Dara
- Tom Basden as Seb
- Art Campion as Jim
- Michelle Fairley as Margo
- Josh Finan as Jason
- Bronagh Gallagher as Booker
- Darragh Hand as Liam
- Ardal O’Hanlon as Seamus
- Natasha O’Keeffe as Greta
- Emmett J. Scanlan as Owen
- Saoirse Monica Jackson as Feeney
Josh Finan as Jason Meadows in How To Get To Heaven From Belfast. (© Netflix)
Speaking to C&TH, Merseyside star Josh Finan describes How To Get To Heaven From Belfast as ‘hilarious and moving’, adding ‘I genuinely think people are going to love it’.
Having recently led the BBC’s drama Waiting for the Out, Finan says: ‘I’m immensely proud of How to Get to Heaven from Belfast. It was a wonderful thing to work on – I’ve admired Lisa’s work from afar and I’ve loved working with Mike Lennox in the past. Having now seen most of it, I think it really achieves all of its significant ambitions!’
While we’re not sure just yet on the role Finan’s character will play in Saoirse, Robyn and Dara’s story, if anyone can pull off an Irish accent, we know it is Finan who previously took on the role of Gerry Adams in FX’s Troubles drama, Say Nothing.
Roisin Gallagher as Saoirse Shaw, Caoilfhionn Dunne as Dara Friel & Sinead Keenan as Robyn Winters in How To Get To Heaven From Belfast. (© Christopher Barr/Netflix)
Release Date
All eight episodes of How To Get To Heaven From Belfast will land on Netflix on 12 February 2026, running for an hour each.
