Derry is welcoming the 'Children of Chernobyl' - teenagers, affected by the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, who have been sent from their contaminated homeland for a few weeks of fresh air to, as Sister Michael puts it 'give their wee lungs a clear out'. The Quinns are hosts to one of these 'children' - Katya. Erin couldn't be more excited - she can't wait to share her wisdom and benevolence with this 'poor Ukrainian girl'. Katya, however, turns out to be sophisticated, confident, sexy and a lot less grateful to be in Derry than Erin had expected, unless you factor in one of the gang. Meanwhile the rest of the family has other preoccupations - a new development in Granda Joe's love life leaves his daughters deeply unimpressed.
Erin, her cousin Orla, their friends Clare and Michelle, and Michelle's English cousin James navigate their teen years during the end of The Troubles in Derry, where they all attend a Catholic girls' secondary school.
Erin lives with her father Gerry and mother Mary, her baby sister Anna, Mary's younger sister Sarah, Sarah's daughter Orla, and her maternal grandfather, Joe. James is Michelle's cousin; his mother Cathy left Derry for England to have an abortion but gave birth to him and raised him in London. She sends him back to Derry to live with Michelle and her mother Deirdre when she is going through a divorce.
Derry Girls - Series 1, Episode 4 Synopsis and Schedule