Derry Girls actor inspires students in support of creative MEA initiative
Friday 10 October 2025
Waterford actor Jamie Beamish, best known for his roles in hit series Derry Girls and Bridgerton, has been inspiring performing arts students in Mid and East Antrim as part of the Creative Communities on a Shared Island project.
The star of stage and screen delivered a workshop at St Patrick’s College in Ballymena on Thursday 9 October, where he spoke frankly about his own experiences, the challenges young actors can face, and how to thrive in the growing industry.
Jamie – who played hapless Ciaran from the Photoshack, the partner of Aunt Sarah, in Derry Girls and the villainous Nigel Berbrooke in Bridgerton - also joined Ballymena native and author, Jan Carson, for an evening of conversation at Ballymena Central Library.
The two events were the finale of the Building Shared Creative Communities project between Mid and East Antrim and Waterford aimed at supporting creativity and exploring local heritage.
Speaking about the importance of showing young people that they can have a successful career in the creative industries, Jamie noted that they need only look, not only to his own story, but to that of Ballymena’s own Liam Neeson – who also has family ties to Waterford.
“I knew Liam’s Auntie Betty well – she ran the corner shop where I grew up,” he explained.
“What an amazing role model to have in Ballymena. Liam and I are from a working-class background and we come from small places – but if you work hard, it’s possible to attain your dreams. You don’t have to come from a rich family, you don’t necessarily have to be from London or big metropolitan areas. If I can do it, anyone can do it…”
Also as part of the project finale, guests from Waterford visited a Community Hub in Cullybackey where preparations for a new mural by Dublin-based French artist Claire Prouvost are underway.
The community mural is inspired by Cullybackey’s textile mills heritage and will be the culmination of a series of workshops to help shape its design. The mural is the second in an artistic exchange, following the creation of an industrial heritage-inspired mural by Co Antrim artist Zippy in Portlaw, Co Waterford in 2024.
The group also visited the Arthur Cottage presidential homestead to explore the development underway by Council to improved interpretation and accessibility. Work on the cottage should be completed by the end of the year, ready for the 2026 tourist season.
Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Councillor Minford Jackson, said:
“It was my pleasure to welcome our guests from Waterford along with our local participants who have all contributed to the delivery of this project.
“As a Council, we aim to support all aspects of our creative industries harnessing the potential to support not only our tourism offering, but also the ambitions of our young people in the arts.”
Katherine Collins, Creative Ireland Coordinator for Waterford, said:
“Our visit to Ballymena, Cullybackey and Arthur Cottage has been a wonderful finale to this two years project. Developing knowledge and new ways of working on a cross-border basis with culture, heritage and creativity has been at the heart of our work.
“Strong relationships between staff and communities of both Waterford and Mid and East Antrim are cemented and we look forward to building on the future legacy of this project.”
The Building Share Creative Communities project has been supported by Creative Communities on a Shared Island, funded by Creative Ireland, a joint two-year initiative between Waterford City and County Council and Mid and East Antrim Borough Council to develop and enhance our shared sense of community through the lens of creativity.