Father Dougal McGuire
| Father Dougal McGuire | |
|---|---|
| Father Ted character | |
Ardal O'Hanlon as Father Dougal | |
| First appearance | "Good Luck, Father Ted" (1995) |
| Last appearance | "Fundraising with Father Dougal" (2001; advert) |
| Created by | |
| Portrayed by | Ardal O'Hanlon |
| In-universe information | |
| Occupation | |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
| Nationality | Irish |
Father Dougal McGuire is a character in the Channel 4 sitcom Father Ted. Created by Arthur Mathews and Graham Linehan, Dougal was portrayed by comedian Ardal O'Hanlon for the programme's three series. The character is a childlike, simple-minded Roman Catholic curate exiled to Craggy Island, a small island off the coast of Galway.
Dougal originated as an unseen character in a short-lived stand-up routine performed by Mathews in the late 1980s. Portraying an early version of Father Ted Crilly on-stage, Mathews occasionally discussed Dougal as one of Ted's great friends. In 1994, the writers took Father Ted 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 100 Greatest TV Characters.