The Comedy Club

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It’s St Patrick’s Day, which means anyone and everyone will be jumping on the bandwagon of extravagant green celebrations.

Friends, colleagues and strangers will all boast of the most tenuous connection to Ireland, even if it is to reveal that their great grandmother of their father’s side once dated a red-headed chap called O’Reilly. That to all intents and purposes, makes people part of the wider Irish family, to enjoy the revelling.

Aside from the copious amounts of Guinness that will surely be consumed throughout today, the real spirit of St Patrick’s Day will be captured in the banter and the humour of its participants. The Irish sense of humour is legendary; here are five of the best Irish comedians doing what they do best.

Dara O’Briain

More famous now for his work on comedy panel shows such as Mock the Week, QI and The Panel, Dara O’Briain is still one of Ireland’s greatest stand-up comics. A self-confessed dweeb, and numbers nerd, O’Briain’s intellectual insights are acutely observed with scientific precision, which makes them all the more hilarious and true.

Dylan Moran

Dylan Moran is one of two things. He’s either a drunk who’s exceptionally funny, or a stunning observational comedian who seemingly never steps out of character to further his comedy. Either way, Moran uses the Irish stereotype to great effect, and his stage presence is eccentric and side-splittingly funny to watch.

Dave Allen

One of the comic greats throughout the 60s and 70s, Dave Allen was a story-teller in his comedy, inviting the audience in as he sat back, relaxed and smoked, recounting high tales and uproarious anecdotes. Allen branched into sketch show comedy, but his intimate comic routines will be his lasting legacy to comedy.

Ed Byrne

Witty and whimsical, Ed Byrne tickles the funny bone with his great observational comedy. The Perrier Award nominated comic has had a successful career in Ireland and UK with international tours of Canada, America, France, New Zealand and Australia. His attack on Alanis Morrissette’s song Ironic is a piece of pure comedy gold.

Ardal O’Hanlon

Most famous for his role as Father Dougal McGuire in Father Ted, Ardal O’Hanlon carved a niche for himself as the lovable Irish idiot. Whilst in his stand-up O’Hanlon could sometimes revert to type, his comedy is often a refreshing change from the naive moron of Dougal and often provides brilliant comic insights.

Have a look at some videos on these top comedians and get you in the mood for St Paddy’s Day!

Carla Windsor, G news