Everything about your second paragraph is incorrect. Father Ted was never pitched to RTE. The creators had a prior working relationship with Channel 4 so it was

Everything about your second paragraph is incorrect. Father Ted was never pitched to RTE. The creators had a prior working relationship with Channel 4 so it was pitched to them, not the BBC. It was produced by Hat Trick Productions, a UK based television production company who also make Have I Got News For You. All indoor scenes were filmed in London with outdoor scenes being filmed in different parts of Ireland. The cast and creators were Irish though.