Sínann Fetherston caught up with comedian Damo Clark to learn about Ireland's first comedy guide.
The Irish Comedy Guide is a brand-new one-stop shop for stand-up gigs across the country. The first of its kind, the website hopes to list the long-running staples of the comedy circuit as well as one-off shows and festivals throughout every county of Ireland.
Founded by comics Ailish McCarthy, Eddie Malarkey, and Damo Clark, the website aims to usher comedy fans to find their new favourite local gigs as well as to help comedians promote their shows.
"When I first moved to Ireland I was always looking for gigs," says Damo, who originally hails from Australia. "You would get a magazine or a newspaper to check the listings. Now, obviously, you have websites for bigger events, but they're all spread around, so we just need them all to be in one place."
"During lockdown, me and Eddie bought the domain of 'Irish comedy guide', and then we talked to Ailish at a gig and she was saying the same thing. Ailish is ace. She has something that Eddie and I don't, which is a brain with organisational skills," he laughs. "She gets things done."
Thank you to all who came to the launch last night. We have definitely built something special #IrishComedy pic.twitter.com/jnvkgUXV2d
— Irish Comedy Guide (@IRLcomedyguide) May 4, 2023
The website features an interactive map of Ireland with markers for stand-up, improv, and sketch comedy as well as resources for comedians, such as agency listings, safe gig guidelines, workshops, classes, writing spaces, and other opportunities.
"It's all very early doors but we've got the basic template and all the weekly comedy clubs are there," he explains. "It's great for performers to know what gigs are on and for punters to know what's happening. There might be a comedy club in your area that you don't even know about!"
Another advantage of the map is that it will clearly show which areas of Ireland are in need of a comedy club, allowing comedians and promoters to find under-served audiences.
"You just want to fill in the map with gigs," agrees Damo. "When you see it all in one place, it's great. Plus there's comedy courses and improvs and all these other things."
""The beauty is that once we put the word out that we were listing things, everyone wanted their club on it. It'll just get bigger and bigger," he adds.
"It's all about audiences getting together and having a laugh, man. If we're all laughing together, that's the best thing in the world, isn't it?"
Find out more about the Irish Comedy Guide here.
