Joanna Lumley finds her ‘Home Sweet Home’ in Londonderry, filming murals and reconciliation worker

Actress Joanna Lumley has spoken of her pride in contributing to a new mural in Londonderry depicting Children in Crossfire founder Richard Moore in an embrace with the Dalai Lama.
By Niall Deeney
Published 8th Feb 2021, 06:37 BST
Joanna Lumley with Children in Crossfire founder Richard Moore in 2017. The pair meet again on ITVJoanna Lumley with Children in Crossfire founder Richard Moore in 2017. The pair meet again on ITV
Joanna Lumley with Children in Crossfire founder Richard Moore in 2017. The pair meet again on ITV

Northern Ireland will feature heavily in the next episode of the ‘Home Sweet Home’ travel programme presented by the Bafta-winning actress, due to hit the airwaves tomorrow evening on ITV.

The new episode will begin in the Outer Hebrides where Joanna explores the Harris tweed industry, drives a herd of Highland cattle, and takes in the sights at Eilean Donan Castle before she heads to Northern Ireland.

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Her tour of Ulster takes in the famous Dark Hedges, and a visit to Londonderry where she has a laugh with one of the ‘Derry Girls’, before she meets Mr Moore.

The mural at Great James’ Street, Londonderry depicting Richard Moore with the Dalai LamaThe mural at Great James’ Street, Londonderry depicting Richard Moore with the Dalai Lama
The mural at Great James’ Street, Londonderry depicting Richard Moore with the Dalai Lama

Ms Lumley and the Children in Crossfire founder, who lost his sight when he was shot with a rubber bullet in his home city of Londonderry at the age of 10 in 1972, have met before.

In 2017 the ‘Absolutely Fabulous’ star addressed the charity’s 20th anniversary conference in after meeting the Londonderry man in London earlier that year.

Tomorrow night’s ‘Home Sweet Home’ episode will feature a new mural depicting the inspirational charity founder in an embrace with the Dalai Lama, a personal friend of Mr Moore who describes Children in Crossfire as one of his favourite charities.

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Ahead of the broadcast, Ms Lumley said: “In Derry we wanted to film the historic murals, The Derry Girls and my friend Richard Moore, the ‘Derry Lama’, as the Dalai Lama calls him. It suddenly seemed that we could link these three stories together by art: the ravishing mural Saoirse-Monica showed me of the Derry Girls led us easily to Karl, whose team is creating such important new art work in this fabulous city.”

The programme, the second episode of a three-part series, will broadcast on ITV at 8pm tomorrow.

Related topics:Richard MooreNorthern IrelandITVDerry Girls