Derry Girls: Actress Siobhan McSweeney and writer Lisa McGee win Baftas

The 43-year-old actress won the award for her role as Sister Michael, the eye-rolling principal of the show’s Our Lady Immaculate College, in Channel 4 programme ‘Derry Girls’.

And the show also won a Bafta for best scripted comedy.

In the humorous speech, which she said in double speed given the short time given, McSweeney said: “To the people in Derry, thank you taking me into your hearts and your living rooms.

“I am daily impressed with how you encompass the spirit of compromise and resilience despite the indignities, ignorance and stupidity of your so-called leaders (in) Dublin, Stormont and Westminster.

“In the words of my beloved Sister Michael, ‘it’s time they started to wise up’.”

The comedy about a group of teenagers growing up in Londonderry in the 1990s was a sleeper hit that built a large and committed following across its three series.

Set during the Troubles, the show was praised for offering a new perspective on the period of the IRA and loyalist ceasefires through the eyes of a group of young girls.

At the beginning of the speech, McSweeney joked: “As my mother laid dying in Cork, one of the very last things she said to me was, would I not consider retraining as a teacher.

“If she could see me now getting a Bafta for playing a teacher. Joke’s on you.”

She also thanked the people of Cork “who supported me despite the fact I’m not Cillian Murphy”, adding “it must be very difficult for you”.

McSweeney also thanked ‘Derry Girls’ writer Lisa McGee “for not listening to me when I said I could play all the girls’ parts” and praised Channel 4, adding “you have my devotion”.

Creator McGee thanked Channel 4, asking it to “please never change” and thanking “our first home, Derry”.

British talent Ben Whishaw and Kate Winslet won the top acting prizes at Sunday night’s ceremony at Royal Festival Hall in London.

Winslet, 47, won the best actress award for her performance in Channel 4’s drama ‘I Am Ruth’, which sees a mother and her real-life daughter Mia Threapleton work through emotional turmoil on-screen.

In an emotional speech, the ‘Titanic’ star said: “If I could break it in half, I would give the other half to my daughter, we did this together, kiddo.”

The actress also said that “small British television dramas can be mighty” and mental health stories such as this one “need to be heard”.

Winslet added: “To people in power, please criminalise harmful content, we don’t want it … to any young person listening, please ask for help, it will be there just ask for it.”

It was the second appearance from Winslet who joined the team of ‘I Am Ruth’ on stage earlier in the night as they accepted the Bafta TV award for single drama.

Meanwhile, ‘James Bond’ and ‘Paddington’ star Whishaw also collected a top acting gong during the ceremony for his performance as an under-pressure doctor in BBC series ‘This Is Going To Hurt’.

On stage, the 42-year-old actor said “everybody in the show is just mind-blowing” and “most of all thank you, Adam Kay, for writing this wonderful role”. He added: “I’m very humbled, and blessed.”

The medical drama is based on Kay’s book ‘This Is Going To Hurt: Secret Diaries Of A Junior Doctor’ which chronicles his work training to be a doctor in the NHS.

It was also the second time Whishaw had appeared on stage to collect the prize for most memorable moment for his sketch as Paddington Bear featuring the late Queen in honour of her Platinum Jubilee celebrations.