Comedy
Irish wit is legendary, and one of the best ways to experience it is at a comedy festival in Ireland.
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Are you having a laugh?
Irish people are famed for their love of the craic and storytelling, which probably explains why comedy is an art that's very much alive and well here. Irish wit is typically self-deprecating and usually littered with choice words and colourful turns of phrase. Comedians have found Ireland and the Irish to be a fertile ground for comic material.
Comedy festivals to beat the band
They say there's a festival round every corner in Ireland - and they weren't joking! A fair share of them are comical by nature (a festival to crown a wild mountain goat anyone? Check out Puck Fair if you don't believe me). Then there are the plethora of comedy festivals where up and coming comedians go head to head against the tried and tested. Find out more about the best comedy festivals 2010.
Award winning comedians
Irish comedians bring a unique vision of Ireland to audiences all over the world. Dara O'Briain hosts Mock the Week on BBC2, Ardal O’Hanlon and Dylan Moran are both known for their roles in sitcoms and their live performances. Dave Allan and Frank Carson are well loved in the UK for their performances through the years. They’re also a prize winning bunch - Dylan Moran, Sean Hughes, Tommy Tiernan and most recently David O'Doherty have all won the if.comedy award (formerly the Perrier award). Full listing of all comedy events in Ireland.
Irish Witerature
Irish writers such as Oscar Wilde, James Joyce, Brendan Behan and Roddy Doyle have brought the Irish sense of humour to life through the written word. From Wilde’s finely wrought words – “The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about" to the caustic remarks of Brendan Behan “I am a drinker with writing problems”. Find out more about Ireland’s great living heritage of literature .
Andrew Maxwell's Irish Tales
Watch comedian Andrew Maxwell’s personal tour of Ireland in a series of six short films. Andrew visited Cork, Belfast, Dublin, Londonderry, Galway and the west of Ireland, and Kerry and the Shannon Region. Meeting local characters along the way (try to keep up with the banter) Andrew takes a sideways look at the best Ireland has to offer! To watch the videos visit YouTube.





