Coming this month to this month's Scene + Heard festival, Ailish McCarthy's debut show My, Myself and Ireland is an autobiographical comedy based upon the true tale of a woman with too much time on her hands, who campaigns to make comedy an artform! Ailish picks up the story below...
Me, Myself and Ireland is a show that's incredibly close to my heart — not only because it’s biographical, but because it’s the story I’ve been bursting to tell, about fighting to be seen and what it takes to have artists recognised.
I’ve been involved in the arts from a very young age, and I’ve always admired the work of the Arts Council of Ireland. Since their establishment in 1951, they’ve been the cornerstone of the arts here — shaping culture, offering funding, and providing a powerful voice for artists at every level. They are the national government agency for funding, developing and promoting arts in Ireland. Their reach extends far beyond the island, influencing Culture Ireland’s promotion of Irish arts abroad and even advising the Revenue Commissioners on the Artists’ Exemption. They are, in many ways, the Goliath of arts policy.
It's the story I’ve been bursting to tell, about fighting to be seen and what it takes to have artists recognised.
Over the years, I’ve seen first-hand how much their support can change lives. Friends and colleagues of mine have benefitted majorly from mentorships, with masters of their craft, enjoyed quiet spaces to create through residencies, and found stability through funded bursaries. These supports allow ideas to grow and flourish into something bigger and braver. So when an artist makes an application, and it's rejected, it's equally devastating. Doors close. Dreams pause.
My show is not about being unsuccessful in an application.
It asks a deeper question, on behalf of the generations of comedians who were continuously rejected only on the basis that their artform: why wasn’t comedy ever considered an art form by the Arts Council? When I started digging, I realised that under the Arts Act, stand-up comedy isn’t listed with its other performance art counterparts. I found it astonishing that a national body dedicated to "Making Great Art Work" could overlook an artform that impacts audiences so profoundly. Comedy, after all, tells stories, challenges norms, and reflects society. Ireland is known to produce heavyweights of comedy, with acts like Tommy Tiernan, Joanne McNally, Dara O’Brien and Foil, Arms & Hog (I could go on).
but always driven by a sense of purpose.'
Me, Myself and Ireland follows my journey as I went toe-to-toe with the powers that be. My campaign wasn’t about personal recognition — it was about equity. I just wanted comedians to have a seat at the same table where all the decisions are made on cultural policy, shaping Ireland's future. My crusade brought me to Scotland, England, New Zealand and even to the doorstep of our own government buildings. My campaign got government and opposition to pause and see eye to eye on this issue. How many times has that happened?
It was a crusade — sometimes lonely, often exhausting, but always driven by a sense of purpose. I wanted to 'stand up’, to say that being excluded, being told you’re "not an artist" is wrong.
Then, in December 2025, a breakthrough: the Arts Council announced it would begin including comedy in its funding schemes. That moment felt monumental — not just for me, but for every performer who’s ever been told their art didn’t count.
Me, Myself and Ireland tells that story — of challenging tradition, questioning policy, and standing up for what you believe is right.
Me, Myself and Ireland is at Smock Alley, Dublin on Feb 19 + 20, as part of the Scene and Heard Festival of new work - find out more here
