Kevin Bridges, Tommy Tiernan, Dara Ó Briain, Rich Hall and David O'Doherty; these are five must-see comedians playing the Vodafone Comedy Carnival this year. However, if you're a true comedy fan, you probably already knew that.
If you find yourself in Galway city between Tuesday, 24th to Monday, 30th of October you will be surrounded by some of the world's best comedic talent. Ahead of the event, we're highlighting some of our must-see performers.
1. Deirdre O'Kane
Deirdre O'Kane is a standup comedian and actress, famed for her roles in I Went Down (1997), Intermission (2003) and Moone Boy (2012-2015). These days Deirdre is narrating Ireland's Gogglebox and is set to star alongside Hilary Duff in Darren Star's Younger this autumn.
Deirdre has made a long-awaited return to stand up after taking a break to raise her family. Since her return, her sell-out show 1 Dee has raked in heaps of praise. You can catch Deirdre at Town Hall Theatre on Saturday, 28th of October and at Roisin Dubh on Sunday, 29th of October.
2. Joanne McNally
Joanne McNally has risen through the ranks of Irish comedy at lightning speed. Best known for her role on RTÉ's Republic of Telly, the comedian gained notoriety when she joined P.J. Gallagher on tour for their show Separated at Birth.
Since then the RTÉ 2FM regular has astounded critics with her show Bite Me which looks at her experience with eating disorders through an intelligent and side-splittingly funny lens. Watch Joanne live on stage in Roisin Dubh on Sunday, 29th and at Magic Mirrors Spiegeltent on Monday, 30th of October.
3. Reginald D Hunter
Reginald D Hunter is an American stand-up based in the United Kingdom. The Georgia native became a firm favourite in Ireland after playing numerous comedy clubs across the country where he shared his rather astute (and rather hilarious) observations of Irish people and their mannerisms.
Reginald is currently touring his show Some People v. Reginald D. Hunter across Ireland, and you can see the man on Saturday, 28th of October at the Town Hall Theatre and on Sunday 29th of October at the Magic Mirrors Spiegeltent.
4. Jarlath Regan
Jarlath Regan is a stand-up comedian, illustrator, and creator of the award-winning podcast Irishman Abroad. Each week on the podcast, Jarlath speaks to Irish celebrities around the world, ranging from actress Amy Huberman and comedian Dylan Moran to activist Bob Geldof and athlete Annalise Murphy.
Since donating a kidney to his brother, the comedian has been touring his show Organ Freeman which has already received rave reviews. Catch Jarlath on Thursday, 26th of October in Roisin Dubh and on Saturday, 28th of October at the Kings Head Ruby Room.
5. Foil Arms and Hog
We are long-time fans of the Dublin trio who burst onto the comedy scene almost ten years ago with a series of absurd and observational sketches ranging from 'Watching TV with your Parents' to 'How to Speak Dublin'.
Sean Finegan (Foil), Conor McKenna (Arms) and Sean Flanagan (Hog) have earned a cult following online with over 100, 000 subscribers on YouTube. You can see the lads in action with their new show Oink on October 26th at the Town Hall Theatre.
These are just five of the incredible 100 acts and 75 shows that will be taking place across the festival. Keep an eye on RTÉ Culture as we have a sit down with some of the performers ahead of the event.
The Vodafone Comedy Carnival is on from Tuesday, 24th to Monday to 30th of October 2017. Check out the full lineup here. Tickets for the festival will go on sale on Tuesday, 22nd of August at 9:00am.
