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 Aidan Bishop. Native New Yorker Aidan Bishop hasbecome one of Ireland's excitingnew acts. He began his comedy career in New York, regularly appearing at New York Comedy Club and Stand Up New York. However, since relocating to Dublin in January2003 he has become one of the hardest working men on the Irish comedy circuit. As organizer and resident mc of the now famous International Comedy Club, he has honed his craft in the same room as some of Ireland’s most famous comedians. However his ambitions have not been confined to the small borders of the International. He has supported acts in Vicar Street, performed at the Empire in Belfast, Cuba in Galway; City limits in Cork and regularly appears around the country. His hard work has been rewarded with an invitation to perform at this years Kilkenny Cat Laughs festival in June 2006. That’s two years running!!!! A bright future ahead no doubt, but a solid presence well worth catching.
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 Des Bishop. Now widely known from the acclaimed 'Des Bishop Work Experience' (RTE 2) and with his hugely popular and controversial show 'Joy in the Hood' (RTE 2), Before Des was breaking records in live shows across Ireland (sold out over 40 nights in Vicar Street on his Fitting in Tour), he was the founder, organizer and resident MC of the now famous International Comedy Club where he developed his biting style of observational stand up. Des has never forgotten his roots; he still performs regularly and is committed to mentoring stand-up comedians which showcases new Irish talents three nights a week (Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays). Unquestionably one of the most gifted comedians to emerge in recent years. Des Bishop was invited to perform at all three of the World’s most prestigious comedy festivals in 2005; Aspen, Montreal and Edinburgh, Ireland’s own Cat Laughs Festival. Unfortunately a performance at Montreal was ruled out due to filming commitments with RTE, but Bishop wowed crowds at both Aspen in February and the Cat Laughs in June, rubbing shoulders with some of the World’s most successful and high profile comedians. The native New Yorker’s stand-up has been described as “Dynamic” (The List) and has become a firm favourite with comedy fans in Ireland and well beyond. Des’s numerous TV and radio accolades include featuring as team captain on RTE’s ‘Don’t Feed The Gondola’s’, ‘The Empire Laughs Back’ (BBC2), as a writer, performer on RTE’s ‘X-It File’ with Colin Murphy, a small but memorable part in Jim Sheridan’s ‘In America’ and guest presenting on RTE1’s ‘Liveline’, 98FM’s ‘After Dark’, ‘The Talk of Dublin’ and ‘The Red Rooster’ on Cork’s Red FM. Most recently Des was selected as the subject of a special HBO documentary, ‘A Comic’s Climb’, filmed at Aspen.
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 David O'Doherty. David O’Doherty is the stage name of David O’Doherty, comedian, philanthropist and 1990 East Leinster U14 triple jump bronze medallist.
His life thus far has been one of glittering accomplishment. Born in 1975, at the age of two he invented the internet, a claim hotly disputed by HTML creator Tim Berners-Lee. By five he had been nominated for a Nobel Prize and appeared as a sideman on several Steely Dan albums.
Having fulfilled all other ambitions, he turned to stand-up comedy in 1999. Since then he has performed four solo shows and a two-hander Saddled with his friend Bryan Quinn (a trained clown), which was the first theatrical production ever to feature live repair of audience members’ bicycles.
He has written a children’s book (Ronan Long Gets it Wrong, Mammoth 2001) and quite a lot of other stuff for radio and telly including a series about bee detectives (The Bees of Manulla, RTE Radio 1 2003) and a weekly segment on a kids’ science show in the character of a bemused physics teacher from the midlands who has been forced to teach the senior syllabus through the medium of hip-hop (Scope, Network 2 2004). He hosts a weekly music show on Irish radio.
He has performed at festivals in Edinburgh, Montreal, New York, Melbourne, Adelaide, Prague, Kilkenny and Iceland. His ambition is to appear in a knitting pattern. Awards... • Winner 1999 Channel 4 So You Think You’re Funny?’ Award at The Edinburgh Fringe Festival • Nominee 2000 Perrier Best Newcomer Award • 2003 HMS Props Performers’ Performer Award at The Edinburgh Fringe • Winner 2003 Hot Press Irish Comedian of the Year “A new Irish hero… a gifted act with highly fresh and incisive material." – The Irish Times “Those of us who believe that this is the best show on the Fringe are keeping it to ourselves." ***** - The Sunday Herald, Scotland “Go and see this thoughtful and original show." – The Times “He has an ear for a clever-cute line and a wry poetic lilt. Some shows leave you shell-shocked, O’Doherty will leave you beaming." – The London Evening Standard
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 Eddie Bannon . Dublin born Eddie Bannon is a stand up comedian. He has also written plays and, in the past few years, has read lots of good books. "Bannon creates the atmosphere of the most popular boy in school entertaining the rest of the class while the teacher is away"
- Comedylounge web site
Highly in demand as a Master of Ceremonies across the world, Eddie also spent ten years improvising with the Dublin Comedy Improv team. He is a favourite on both the comedy and corporate circuits with his universal, confident & witty banter, and has engaged audiences from Manchester to Melbourne, from Holland to Hong Kong and from Brussels to Botswana.
"He has a hilariously unique way of making you see the funny side of life. His eyes often say it all " - Metro
Eddie has toured with the likes of Lenny Henry, Ardal O Hanlon, Tommy Tiernan, and Rich Hall. He has played several sell-out tours of all the major Festivals in Australia, as well as being one of the very few to have performed at every Cat Laughs Festival in Kilkenny. In true Irish style he has appeared at numerous other Festivals around the world including Edinburgh where he debuted his first one-man play …Big Fat Dog. "This play says far more about childhood than many a more polished production could hope to achieve and is genuinely moving"
- Evening News "Bannon's delivery gives it a wholly unexpected emotional force" - The Scotsman"A gripping piece of work"
- The Irish Times Television credits include: Father Ted (Channel 4)
The Clive James Show (Channel 5) Friday Night Armistice (BBC)
The Comedy Store (Channel 5) Room 101 (BBC)
The Stand Up Show (BBC)
Confessions (BBC) The Peter Principle (LWT)
The Empire Laughs Back (BBC, N.Ire) The Late Late Show (RTE)
Often referred to as "one of Ireland's most amiable and consistently enjoyable comics", Eddie is also very funny and enjoys writing short stories.
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 Neil Delamere. Neil Delamere is one of the top headline acts working in the Irish comedy scene today. Having performed on 5 continents and staged his debut solo show in the Edinburgh festival last year, 2005 continues to be a very busy one for the young comedian. This summer saw Neil appearing as the news reviewer on the new sports show Park Live on RTE1.
His live stand-up set was recently recorded for the BBC comedy series One Night Stand.
Presently working on The Blame Game, a topical radio show for the BBC soon to be aired on TV, Neil is also a regular on the RTE comedy news show The Panel alongside Ed Byrne and Colin Murphy and hosted by Dara O'Briain.
Hailed by the Irish Independent for his countless MC skills, Neil is the regular compere at several gigs round Dublin. He has performed all over Ireland as well as at the prestigious Kilkenny Cats Laugh festival, the Montreal Just For Laughs Festival and the Adelaide Fringe
Festival. He will once again feature in Liffey
Laughs, RTE's stand-up show early next year."One of the funniest things you'll see at the Fringe this year."
- Edinburh Fest Magazine "Sometimes politically incorrect, Delamere moved effortlessly between topics with seemingly endless top-notch material
that had this audience in stitches"- Adelaide Fringe Festival 2004
Television credits include:
The Panel (RTE 2)
The Late Late Show (RTE 1)
The BBC New Comedy Awards (BBC)
Liffey Laughs (RTE 2)
Ed Byrne's Just For Laughs (RTE 2)
Raymann is Laat ( TV Netherlands)
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 Karl Spain. Karl Spain is one of Irelands best young comedians. In his short career he has already achieved an awful lot. He burst on the scene in 2000 by winning a newcomer competition on RTE. and has since maintained a high standard.
In 2003 he was thrilled to be chosen as one of the Irish acts at the Montreal 'Just for Laughs' festival which was recently repeated on RTE 2.
In 2004 he performed at festivals around the world including Australia, Kilkenny and his well received solo debut at the Edinburgh festival 'Spain, Ireland and Beyond'.
Currently in development with a few TV. projects, Karl has previously been seen on such shows as Xit File where he wrote and performed the Fitzie character who has also made some memorable live appearances around Ireland.
Other T.V credits include The Late Late Show & The Liffey Laughs for RTE as well as the BBC New Comedy Awards in 2002. And also if you look closely at the audience the time his brother Gary was on Where in the World‚ you can see Karl, he has a beard and is smiling.
As well as the RTE. award Karl was also a league winner with Summerville Rovers Under-10s. plus he won a couple of "buachaill na seachtaine"s in primary school including two in third class. "Destined to go far, see him now while you can". - Three Weeks "Had the audience eating out of the palm of his hand" - Metro "Karl is a very good boy" - Maths teacher (first year)
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 Maeve Higgans. Maeve Higgins is an up and coming shop assistant by day, and a stand up comedian by night!
She used to moonlight as a bouncer in comedy clubs around the country, and was sometimes allowed to do standup if the crowd seem drunk enough. She's now been tickling people pink for a year!
Every now and then though, a person wanders up to her and says "Hey you! Girls aren't funny!" To which she replies, "Oh yeah? Well, that's why I work in a clothes shop buddy". Then they both depart, confused.
As well as her challenging career as a t-shirt folder and a comic, Maeve does a radio slot every Tuesday on the Ray D'arcy Show on Today FM, discussing crucial issues and trying not to make mouth sounds (she hates when other people on the radio make mouth sounds). She also featured on hit show Naked Camera on RTE 2, where she tricked unsuspecting members of the public, then felt bad, but kept doing it anyway, because it was fun.
Maeve's dream is to be the next child star, though it's looking increasingly unlikely as time marches on.
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 Colum McDonnell. What Colum McDonnell lacks in stature, he gains in laughter. The "wee" man from Dundalk has established himself on the Irish comedy circuit with an unusual outlook on life.
A finalist in the 2002 BBC newcomers and the channel 4 "so you think your funny?" competitions, Colum has gone on to support both Joe Rooney and Colin Murphy in Vicar St., Dublin’s largest comedy Venue.
Colum has played all major clubs in Ireland, supporting all the top Irish acts and made his debut this year at both the Kilkenny Cats Laugh festival and the Edinburgh fringe.
Often mistaken for one of the hobbits in Lord of the rings, his tales of magpies, trains and sinking ships will leave you laughing your little pants wet pants off!
Go see him!
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 Andrew Stanley. Andrew Stanley is a 24 year-old sharp, witty Dubliner who has climbed the comedy ladder in his homeland rapidly to cement his status as one of the most reliable and regular acts on the circuit. Beginning in 2002 Andrew has worked hard around Ireland and the UK to become one of the most sought after acts on the circuit today. He has recently become the resident MC in the legendary Comedy Cellar in Dublin and having performed at the last 2 Edinburgh Festivals and the last 2 Cat Laughs Festivals he has more than enough experience already.
His varied style of audience interaction and surreal observational stories grabs the audience from the moment he walks on stage and is sure to have them crying out for more when he leaves. “ Reminiscent of Jason Byrne ” – Sligo Weekender “ Natural and genuinely funny ”
– Galway Independent “Likeable, laid back comic” – Limerick Leader
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 Dermot Whelan. Dermot burst on to the comedy scene late in 2004. In his first year, he has performed at the Kilkenny Cat's Laugh Festival, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and, more recently, at Vicar Street in the Liffey Laughs for RTE television. He has also been shortlisted for the BBC New Comedy Awards 2005.
Dermot hosts a weekday breakfast show on the hugely successful Dublin radio station 98FM and is host of TV3's football entertainment programme, The Offside Show.
Dermot is especially proud of his acting success. He appeared in the 2003 Irish comedy classic Spin the Bottle as Garda # 2. He had two lines: "C'mon now, Son" and "Move out of the way there, Son". Genius.
Although a relatively new comer to the comedy scene, Dermot's professionalism and sense of humour have already made him a name to watch. See him soon.
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 PJ Gallagher. PJ Gallagher is fast becoming one of Ireland’s best-loved comedians. Following the huge success of his role as Jake Stevens in the hilarious and sometimes outrageous hit TV show "Naked Camera", PJ rarely has time to be himself these days as he prepares for yet another run of the massively popular series.
PJ Gallagher is a Vicar Street regular, can often be seen with Jason Byrne on various TV and live performances, has toured with Des Bishop and has appeared at the Cat Laughs festival in Kilkenny. He is also a graduate of the Gaeity School of Acting.
With appearances on both The Miriam Callaghan and Tubridy show, you can expect to see a lot more of this brilliant, energetic young comic. "For a man who ambushes people as they go about their everyday business, makes them uncomfortable and minds their embarrassment for laughs, there is something strangely appropriate about PJ Gallagher’s route into comedy."
The Sunday Times Culture Magazine
Gallagher’s encounters with the unsuspecting public are not only hilarious but also crackle with and edgy energy.
The Sunday Times
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 David McSavage. McSavage is one of Ireland's most popular new talents, winning new fans with every appearance. You probably know him from his various LATE LATE show appearances and his many sold out shows in Vicar Street. If you still don’t know him, you can catch him every weekend performing in his biggest venue of all---on the STREET in TEMPLE BAR!!!! "Best Newcomer Award" Hot Press 2003
"McSavage is fearless, it's incredible" Tommy Tiernan
³Best laughs for money exchange at this fringe" Adelaide Post
"He's the funniest experience within 1000 km of Sydney" Sydney morning herald "I really admire him" Billy Connolly
"You have been warned, you will be McSavaged" The Scotsman " One of Ireland's funniest comedians" The Irish Mirror
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 Bernard O'Shea. Starting out in the entertainment world playing traditional Irish music, Bernard O’Shea’s mind snapped one day and he suddenly began singing about killer cats, inflatable dolls and wetting the bed (it’s unclear whether or not this actually happened during a show).
He won the Harp Comedy Award in 2000, he tours extensively throughout the U.K., and Ireland’s Hotpress described his comedy as “Left field in as much as it’s not up its arse.” (those silver-tongued devils...)
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 Eric Lalor. Eric Lalor was walking through Ballymun shopping centre in Dec 2004 when he saw a poster looking for any wannabe stand-up comedians who fancied doing comedy workshops.
He went along to an audition, got picked, did a documentary called Joy in the Hood with Des Bishop and now does stand-up comedy regularly all over the country! He recently bought a new shed for his back garden and it's nice
Since this profile was written, Eric has also started an extremely successful comedy night in the Axis in Ballymun with Willie White.
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 Willa White. Although Willie White is a relative newcomer to Irish Comedy, that is not the impression he gives off on stage. It's from his appearance on Des Bishop's Joy In Da Hood that Willie is most recognisable. Willie has since taken the comedy scene by storm with his material focusing on his experiences growing up in Ballymun.
Willie currently hosts a regular comedy night at the Axis in Ballymun and has also featured in numerous comedy events around the country, as his career goes from strength to strength.
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 Damian Clark. West Australian Damian Clark burst into the stand-up comedy scene when winning the 2000 Perth Comedy Fringe Award, sending him to the Adelaide Fringe. In 2001, Damian's energetic humour saw him selected to be part of The Comedy Zone - a Melbourne International Comedy Festival initiative that supports and produces up-and-comers in the industry.
With his lively and energetic approach, Damian then teamed up with fellow 'zoner' and Perth comedian Anthony Menchetti for a sell out season of their show The Art of Schmoozing in the 2002 Comedy Festival. In 2003, Damian was heard as one of Perth Nova 937's Breakfast Crew (Damo, Nat & Craig).
After another successful solo show in the 2005 Melbourne International Comedy Festival Damian Clark "Lays it on Thick" it was back to the Edinburgh Fringe with The Bandit which received packed crowds and rave reviews. While in Edinburgh, Clark filmed a comedy documentary of his time in the Festival for Foxtel's The Comedy Channel to be aired in Oz, nationwide.
Damian's stand-up has also been seen nationally on ABC TV's ‘Stand Up!’ and variety talk show 'Rove Live'.
Check out “The Adventures of Silky Ribbons”. Quality. "An example of the best that comedy can be" - The Age "Masterfully silly" - The Scotsman "burped five times in 20 minutes" - The Advertiser (SA)
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 Tommy Nicholson. The man from Navin. Tommy Nicholson made his comedy debut at the 1997 B.B.C. New Comedy Awards, held in the Gaiety theatre in Dublin.
Some weeks later he was successful in securing a place in the Edinburgh semi final hears of Channel Four's "So you think you're funny"
Since then Tommy has appeared in City Limits (Cork), The Murphy's Laughter Lounge, The Comedy Cellar, The G.P.O. (Galway), The Student's Union of Queen's University (Belfast), The International Comedy Club, Hotpress Hall of Fame, Andrews Lane Theatre (Dublin), Limerick University, The Shelter (Vicar St.), and many more venues throughout Ireland.
He has taken part in four Dublin Fringe Festival's and The Murphy's Ungagged Festival.
Tommy was selected to perform in the Kilkenny Cat Laughs International Comedy Festival four years running. His T.V. credits include "Don't Feed the Gondola's" and writing plus presenting "Ad-Hoc" on R.T.E.'s "X-IT File".
A once of radio sketch Tommy wrote and performed for Radio One was selected for the pick of the week playback slot.
Des Bishop declared him THE KING OF UNDERGROUND COMEDY. Tommy always give it his all---the International's most reliable acts. He is an
INTERNATIONAL COMEDY CLUB FAVORITE and well worth a look.
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 Keith Farnan. Having recently appeared on Irish Television in the second series of the “Liffey Laughs”, and with a forthcoming appearance imminent in the BBC series of the “Standup Sessions”, Keith Farnan is beginning to make an impression on a wider audience. Following on from a successful Kilkenny Cat Laughs Festival as well as appearances at the Edinburgh Festival “Best of the Irish”, and having played across Ireland and the UK, Keith is rapidly building up a reputation as one of the most energetic and intelligent of the new Irish acts to watch. In accordance with new comedian regulations, he also acts, and has filmed several short films in the past year, and would have been seen at the Edinburgh Festival in the original comedy “Being Elvis”. Some nice things said about him include: 'Possessed of Talent, Focus and Energy.'
Hot Press 'One of the best sets I’ve seen in ages… Fresh, interesting and doesn’t use smut as a means of getting a cheap laugh'
InDublin
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