Father Ted festival row - where is Craggy Island?

Two islands off the Irish coast are at loggerheads, competing for the dubious prize of the right to compare themselves to Craggy Island, the remote fictional setting of Father Ted.

The feud has broken out between two of the Aran Islands - Inis Mor and Inis Oirr - over who has the better claim to be the setting of the popular Channel 4 sitcom. The argument has come about over the Friends of Ted festival which will be taking place on Inis Mor next month to mark the ninth anniversary of the death of Dermot Morgan (Father Ted). The residents of Inis Oirr are not happy as they believe they have a better claim to be Craggy Island because the opening Father Ted titles, including shots of the wrecked cargo ship the Plassey, were filmed on their island – not the larger Inis Mor.

The resentment mainly centres around money – Bed and Breakfast owners on Inis Oirr point out that their rivals on Inis Mor will be cashing in on the travelling fans but their bookings will remain slow during this non-tourist season.

Despite the feud the convention will go ahead as planned on the weekend of February 23rd. The festival will feature themed events including a Lovely Girls contest, Hide a Nun and Seek, the Toilet Duck Comedy Awards, Ludo and Buckeroo Speed Dating.