Father Dougal McGuire Father Dougal McGuire 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"
"Good Luck, Father Ted" Dougal is distracted, and Ted is forced to chase him down, finding him asleep on a park bench. Ted sits down with him, but too late discovers the bench is part of the "Crane of Death" ride, and the bench is lifted high into the air. From his vantage, Ted sees that Dougal has been found by the television reporter, and since Ted said he was the only priest on the island, the reporter assumes Dougal is Ted. In his lament, Ted falls off the bench to the ground. Later, a heavily bandaged Ted watches the television interview along with