302:", it is revealed that Ted has made him write a list of things that do not exist, which is on a pull-down chart in their bedroom. Often he says things that Ted specifically told him not to say, such as by asking about Bishop Brennan's son, as well as shouting to Ted to ask if the Bishop found a large number of rabbits that they are hiding in the parochial house (fortunately for Ted, the bishop was more concerned about Dougal addressing him by his first name instead of using his proper title). In "The Mainland", he forgets to have any breakfast and fails to realise this until he and Ted are waiting for Father Jack at the optician. He also nearly gives a visiting bishop a heart attack when he screams in excitement after remembering the director's cut of
44:
231:, purportedly written by Father Dougal McGuire, a missionary friend who described his experiences of being attacked and chased by natives. In one sketch, Ted discussed his concern for Dougal, who had been voted Most Unpopular Priest in Africa for two years running and was spending Christmas up a tree in the grounds of The Bob Geldof Centre.
467:-worthy" Dougal and Jack received the most attention at the time of broadcast, Morgan's straight-man performance was the highlight in retrospect. Morgan attributed the show's success to the appealing double-act formed by Dougal, "an idiot who knows nothing", and Ted, "an idiot who thinks he knows something but actually knows nothing."
263:
Linehan and
Mathews saw O'Hanlon in a modernised Shakespeare play broadcast by RTÉ, and were impressed by the "weird, gormless" face he could pull. Linehan later said, "That was Dougal right there. He was just spot-on and he became our secret weapon. The show took off so quickly because Ardal was so
295:", he mentions that his parents are dead, and also refers to an uncle who died after his heart stopped beating for a week. It is unclear how Dougal entered the priesthood, with Ted wondering, "Dougal, how did you get into the Church? Was it, like, collect twelve crisp packets and become a priest?"
226:
tribute band. The band performed various warm-up sketches written by
Mathews, Woodfull, and Graham Linehan, who joined in a non-musical capacity. These sketches included stand-up performed by Mathews in-character as Father Ted Crilly. As Ted, Mathews sometimes read from a book,
316:", he suggests that Ted use his fear of Bishop Brennan to his advantage to carry out the forfeit he was assigned by his rival, and to get Bishop Brennan into position, draws a crude watercolour painting on the skirting board, depicting a man wearing a bishop's hat.
439:. O'Hanlon also drew inspiration from his child sister, as well as dogs, explaining: "Dougal had to be more than just stupid. He had to be otherworldly and very, very strange. I saw Dougal as very doglike, very puppyish and lovable, and really loyal to Ted."
330:
In "A Christmassy Ted", Dougal performs a funeral that Ted was meant to do, but forgot about. Ted is alarmed to learn from Mrs Doyle that Dougal is performing a funeral, and the consequences of Dougal performing the funeral are predictably disastrous.
250:
asked
Linehan and Mathews to discard the mockumentary format and expand the Father Ted episode to a traditional sitcom, Father Dougal became one of the main characters. When writing Dougal, Linehan and Mathews drew on
311:
Sometimes he talks more sense, however, such as when Ted inadvertently winds up his unravelled jumper upon discovering that it could provide a way out, and he asks what use it will be when all wound up. In
341:
jersey when he is in bed. He and Ted share a bedroom, but owing to his childlike nature Dougal does not sleep with a normal blanket like Ted; instead he sleeps with a child's cartoon character
319:
By the time the show begins, Dougal has been exiled to Craggy Island as punishment for unknown misdeeds. In an early interview, the writers stated that it involved "a baptism gone wrong". In "
334:
Bishop
Brennan despises Dougal, at one point referring to him as a "cabbage". He also does not take kindly to Dougal calling him "Len", often shouting profanity at him when he does.
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242:, with each episode focusing on interviewing a different character, one of whom was Father Ted Crilly. The story involved Ted returning to his
206:
to television, casting O'Hanlon as the on-screen Dougal. In a 2001 poll conducted by
Channel 4, Dougal was ranked fifth on their list of the
470:
As testament to the character's enduring popularity, Irish bookmakers humorously began collecting bets on whether Dougal would succeed Pope
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817:
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419:: "Alongside the wily priest who would lie at the drop of a hat we wanted a gormless idiot who was the very model of innocence."
358:
for Father Ted, the profile for Father Dougal states that 'Dougal was relegated to the island after an unfortunate incident on a
474:
upon his death. The odds were 1,000-1 (better odds than some genuine candidates), and some small stakes were actually received.
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singled out O'Hanlon as "the real star of the show", and said that Dougal's "holy-fool innocence" as "worthy of
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s
American broadcast; these segments were included on later DVD releases as "Fundraising with Father Dougal".
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instantly funny." The writers have said that the only other actor they feel might have worked in the role is
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366:
271:
There have been several attempts to remake the show for
American audiences. In 2004, it was reported that
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in 1987–89. During production weekends, he and Paul
Woodfull had the idea for The Joshua Trio, a comedic
202:
on-stage, Mathews occasionally discussed Dougal as one of Ted's great friends. In 1994, the writers took
198:
in a short-lived stand-up routine performed by
Mathews in the late 1980s. Portraying an early version of
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323:", Bishop Brennan says that Dougal cannot be allowed back into "the real world" after "the
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as an influence and compared the relationship between Ted and Dougal to that between
381:, Linehan said that Dougal had been conceived as a cross between wide-eyed bartender
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147:
268:, who plays Dougal's Rugged Island counterpart, Father Cyril McDuff, in the show.
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238:, a six-part comedy television series. The show would have taken the form of a
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for the programme's three series. The character is a childlike, simple-minded
164:
33:
688:. Supanet Limited. 14 March 2004. Archived from the original on 23 April 2004
255:, incorporating some of Linehan's own behaviour during moments of confusion.
508:
342:
159:
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566:"Father Ted Christmas special: comedy gold, the frankly incensed and mirth"
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incident", in which hundreds of nuns' lives were "irreparably damaged".
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Arthur
Mathews created the character of Father Ted while working at
1016:
620:"Father Ted's legacy, 20 years on: up with this sort of thing"
478:
477:
In 2001, O'Hanlon reprised the role of Dougal for a series of
1012:
369:", Dougal mentions that he is 25 years old (soon to be 26).
223:
283:
as Ted. No remake has yet entered production, as of 2023.
362:
ferry that put the lives of hundreds of nuns in danger.'
187:
exiled to Craggy Island, a small island off the coast of
535:"100 Greatest ... (100 Greatest TV Characters (Part 1))"
791:"Father Ted co-creator reveals inspiration for Dougal"
686:"Martin And Norton Team Up Martin And Norton Team Up"
723:"In the name of the FatherIn the name of the Father"
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422:For his portrayal of Dougal, O'Hanlon turned to
905:"Interview: Dermot Morgan; My life as a priest"
750:"Father Ted - profiles - Father Dougal - All 4"
659:(Podcast). London: podcasts.com. Archived from
447:After the first episode aired, Ben Thompson of
779:(Documentary). United Kingdom. 1 January 2011.
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8:
613:
611:
291:References to Dougal's family are rare. In "
246:to catch up with old friends. When producer
16:Character in the Channel 4 sitcom Father Ted
234:In 1990, Linehan and Mathews began writing
1058:
1035:
1021:
1013:
878:"The top 10 greatest Irish TV characters"
279:) had signed on to play Dougal alongside
1351:Television characters introduced in 1995
1172:Cigarettes and Alcohol and Rollerblading
337:Dougal is famously known for wearing an
298:Dougal is dim-witted and childlike. In "
848:"Ardal O'Hanlon Talks About Father Ted"
496:
401:. In another interview, they mentioned
699:
23:
968:from the original on 11 December 2021
858:from the original on 11 December 2021
7:
308:is airing on television that night.
275:(who played Father Noel Furlong in
176:, Dougal was portrayed by comedian
1257:Kicking Bishop Brennan Up the Arse
903:Rampton, James (18 October 1997).
618:Harrison, Andrew (20 April 2015).
564:Doyle, Martin (26 December 2015).
314:Kicking Bishop Brennan Up the Arse
14:
69:"Fundraising with Father Dougal"
776:Father Ted: Unintelligent Design
481:advertisements to coincide with
463:, Ed Power said that while the "
42:
1222:Are You Right There Father Ted?
721:Thompson, Ben (22 April 1995).
48:Ardal O'Hanlon as Father Dougal
988:"Father Ted: The Holy Trilogy"
1:
816:Corr, Alan (1 January 2011).
287:Fictional character biography
1084:The Passion of Saint Tibulus
505:"100 Greatest TV Characters"
321:The Passion of Saint Tibulus
1356:Fictional Christian priests
1105:Grant Unto Him Eternal Rest
656:Father Ted DVD Commentaries
293:Grant Unto Him Eternal Rest
1372:
932:"Betting on the next Pope"
600:. Series 2. 12 July 2004.
208:100 Greatest TV Characters
1077:Entertaining Father Stone
706:: CS1 maint: unfit URL (
41:
31:
1264:Night of the Nearly Dead
1229:Chirpy Burpy Cheap Sheep
377:In the 2011 documentary
300:Chirpy Burpy Cheap Sheep
194:Dougal originated as an
348:Masters of the Universe
107:In-universe information
1346:Fictional Irish people
1144:Old Grey Whistle Theft
1130:Think Fast, Father Ted
367:Old Grey Whistle Theft
158:is a character in the
1341:Father Ted characters
1299:Father Dougal McGuire
1098:And God Created Woman
1070:Good Luck, Father Ted
398:Only Fools and Horses
156:Father Dougal McGuire
59:Good Luck, Father Ted
27:Father Dougal McGuire
964:. 30 December 2006.
854:. 11 November 2009.
443:Reception and legacy
379:Unintelligent Design
214:Concept and creation
1250:Escape from Victory
545:on 21 February 2015
457:". Writing for the
21:Fictional character
1186:Flight Into Terror
992:bbcamericashop.com
884:. 21 November 2014
797:. 31 December 2001
596:Comedy Connections
435:s bumbling waiter
1328:
1327:
1294:Father Ted Crilly
1280:
1279:
1204:A Christmassy Ted
1151:A Song for Europe
1137:Tentacles of Doom
938:. 5 December 2002
818:"In Ted We Trust"
795:Belfast Telegraph
356:Channel 4 website
229:Notes from Africa
200:Father Ted Crilly
153:
152:
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1271:Going to America
1091:Competition Time
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994:. Archived from
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958:"Dougal Maguire"
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592:""Father Ted"".
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541:. Archived from
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511:. Archived from
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424:Laurel and Hardy
391:and roadsweeper
248:Geoffrey Perkins
196:unseen character
54:First appearance
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1165:Rock a Hula Ted
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910:The Independent
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828:on 4 March 2016
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651:Mathews, Arthur
647:Linehan, Graham
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66:Last appearance
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345:(specifically
339:Irish football
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182:Roman Catholic
178:Ardal O'Hanlon
174:Graham Linehan
170:Arthur Mathews
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138:Roman Catholic
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71:(2001; advert)
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168:. Created by
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1243:The Mainland
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1000:. Retrieved
996:the original
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940:. Retrieved
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914:. Retrieved
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860:. Retrieved
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830:. Retrieved
826:the original
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799:. Retrieved
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661:the original
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625:The Guardian
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575:. Retrieved
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543:the original
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517:. Retrieved
513:the original
499:
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472:John Paul II
469:
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448:
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417:Sancho Panza
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240:mockumentary
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97:Portrayed by
32:
18:
1002:17 February
972:17 February
942:5 September
862:25 December
759:31 December
692:28 December
413:Don Quixote
373:Personality
253:Stan Laurel
236:Irish Lives
144:Nationality
1335:Categories
1286:Characters
1158:The Plague
1045:Father Ted
577:24 January
539:ITN Source
492:References
483:Father Ted
277:Father Ted
204:Father Ted
165:Father Ted
112:Occupation
76:Created by
34:Father Ted
801:5 January
509:Channel 4
343:bedspread
325:Blackrock
220:Hot Press
160:Channel 4
126:(briefly)
37:character
1320:Ted Fest
1308:See also
1214:Series 3
1115:Series 2
1062:Series 1
1054:Episodes
966:Archived
856:Archived
702:cite web
653:(2012).
244:seminary
134:Religion
61:" (1995)
1236:Speed 3
1196:Special
962:YouTube
916:19 June
888:17 June
852:YouTube
832:17 June
734:9 April
670:19 June
602:BBC One
549:13 June
393:Trigger
360:SeaLink
354:On the
259:Casting
162:sitcom
124:Milkman
822:RTÉ.ie
631:3 July
519:26 May
437:Manuel
388:Cheers
305:Aliens
189:Galway
185:curate
119:Curate
664:(mp3)
486:'
433:'
405:from
383:Woody
148:Irish
1123:Hell
1004:2013
974:2013
944:2015
918:2015
890:2015
864:2012
834:2015
803:2011
761:2016
736:2016
708:link
694:2014
672:2015
633:2015
579:2016
551:2014
521:2019
465:meme
426:and
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