Funny Business

So now that you can buy tickets to the comedy shows, you may well be wondering who will be on stage making you laugh so hard that little squirts of pee soak through your green pants with the white shamrocks all over them that you wear every year to Irish Fest. Honestly, get some new pants.

Well, I can tell you about our stars. And will right now.
Ian Coppinger

One of Ireland’s busiest comedians Ian is a regular on the world comedy circuit having played to packed houses at the Edinburgh, Melbourne, Montreal Just for Laughs, Galway, Electric Picnic, Glasgow, Dublin, Adelaide and Wellington comedy festivals. Ian is also one of a handful of acts who have been invited back year after year to perform at the Kilkenny Cat Laughs Comedy Festival since 1995 and he has performed throughout Europe, the Middle East and Far East.
A regular on all the major stages in Ireland and the UK, Ian has also appeared as a support act for Ardal O’Hanlon on his UK tour and Pat Shortt on his Irish tour, including 7 sell out weeks in Dublin’s Vicar Street. Ian has also appeared on The Panel Live tour 2008 and in 2007 had 250,000 copies of his CD distributed in the news of the world.
A noted improviser, Ian is a co-founder of The Dublin Comedy Improv (1992), where he still performs every Monday night in Dublin’s International Bar, which is Ireland’s second-longest running comedy club. The Dublin Comedy Improv have recorded two hit radio shows for RTE radio. Ian is also a regular guest with the world famous Comedy Store Players performing alongside Paul Merton, Richard Vranch, Josie Lawrence and many members of Whose Line Is It Anyway? Ian has also toured Australia, New Zealand, the Middle East and Far East as Whose Line Is It Anyway? with the original performers. The only improviser to have been invited to perform at every Cat Laughs Comedy Festival in Kilkenny since 1995, Ian has improvised alongside some of the great improvisers in the world.

Barry Murphy

Barry Murphy is often remembered for the six years he spent as a member of the cult comedy trio, Mr Trellis, with Kevin Gildea and Ardal O Hanlon. He is the co-founder of the Comedy Cellar - Ireland's longest running comedy venue, and is easily recognised as one of the "ten kings of Irish Comedy over the last 20 years" (Hot Press Magazine).
"Barry Murphy's German alter ego, Gunter, is as laugh-a-loud funny as it is satirical. He deserves to be bigger than Riverdance and The Corrs put together" - Brian Boyd, Irish Times
"Subtly mischievous.always teasing, this clever comic works the audience like a chin-wagging barman" - The Scotsman
Barry has successfully hosted events like The Irish Film Awards; two Amnesty "Best Of Irish" Showcases for Granada TV, the Irish Business Internet Awards and the Kilmeaden Bikers Festival in Waterford, as well as numerous corporate and charity functions. Just ask Renault, Levis, Thorn EMI, Pan International, ICS, Microsoft...
The last few years have seen him concentrating on writing and performing Apres Match nonsense - over 5 hours of TV sketches and numerous live performances including four-week seasons at both Vicar Street and in the Gaiety Theatre. The Apres Match Video was nominated for best Irish Video 2000.
Barry is the winner of several copywriting awards for advertising including The Gold Radio campaign winner ICAD ('97); Best Radio Campaign at the Irish Radio Awards ('97); Kinsale International Advertising Festival ('97); The Grand Prix Radio Winner, and the winner of the coveted DNAD Silver Pencil award in '98. BArry is also a Kansas City Irish Fest comedy stage alum.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, blah blah blah. But are they funny? Yes. Here's some stand up from Ian and–though he doesn't appear–Barry's voice and writing in a too-good-too-pass-up Apres Match clip. For more of both, do some searching on the YouTube. And buy those tickets, because these shows will sell out. Don't say I didn't warn you.