Fr Ted lingerie classic gets a new airing on Craggy Island

Fr Ted fans are about to get their knickers in a twist – again. Almost two decades after the famous ‘lingerie department’ episode in which Ted, Dougal and a host of other priests get lost in a department store’s ladies underwear section, the scene is to be recreated as part of this month’s Fr Ted annual weekend on the Aran Islands.

Ladies lingerie Image by FaceMePLS / CC BY 2.0

The classic sitcom has an enduring band of devotees, 500 of whom are expected to travel to Inishmore off Ireland’s west coast for the celebrations of the classic ‘Craggy Island’ goings on. This year the organisers are bringing in a special shipment of store mannequins for the highlight of this year’s festival – lingerie orienteering.

The Aran Islands, home of the Fr Ted annual weekend. Image by Doug Kerr / CC BY 2.0

The Irish Independent reports that the organisers are teaming up with Dunnes Stores in Ennis – where part of the original lingerie episode was filmed in a re-run of the hilarious event. Fr Ted was played by the late Dermot Morgan and in the 1996 Christmas special edition, he led the priests away from catastrophe when they cleared out the store and made their escape as if jumping out of an aeroplane. For his heroic work for the church in avoiding potential bad publicity, Ted received a ‘Golden Cleric’ award.

Peter Phillips, the upcoming Festival organiser said in true Fr Ted fashion they had no idea how anything might work, He said he was surprised that the weekend – now in its ninth year – had become a fixture on the festival circuit in Ireland. It is expected that the Inishmore event generates up to €150,000 for local businesses. The festival runs from 26 February until 1 March.