irish traveller comedian

Martin Beanz Warde: Life and death of a superhero – and Traveller

My grandmother maggie mongan beat the odds, dying a year ago this week aged 89.

My granny, Maggie Mongan, the matriarch of the family, passed away after a battle with double pneumonia on February 23rd, 2020. She was 89 years old. It was the day before I turned 35.

Days before, we visited Granny, knowing it was more of a goodbye than a “how are ya?” My brother drove myself, my other brother and my father to University Hospital Galway and, as usual, the journey consisted of us slagging each other and ripping into my father’s weird jacket – the good jacket, the one that he rarely wore but for an odd occasion that took him away from the grease and oil of an engine or car he was fixing.

The craic was punctuated by the occasional roar from my father when my brother overtook a car or my father thought he was speeding. My father is not a great passenger and still treats us like we need to cycle bikes with stabilisers.

Martin Beanz Warde with his grandmother, Maggie Mongan. Photograph: courtesy of Martin Beanz Warde

Once at the hospital, I stayed outside a few minutes to have a cigarette. Well, more to compose myself. Inside the ward, I washed my hands in the alcohol gel, again and again, 10 times maybe, a subconscious attempt to linger rather than face what lay ahead of me.

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My granny’s name was on the door of her room, written in a whiteboard marker, I suppose to make it easier to wipe away and to make room for the next poor soul charged with saying goodbye to their family.

I walked into the room and the machine was pumping, there were pipes everywhere, and Granny looked older than I had ever seen her. My cousins were crying. My mother marched around like a robot, void of emotions, not through being cold-hearted, but more from a sense that my granny’s kids now had to hold the brave chins of the matriarchs.

Life is like that. The elders start off holding their babes, feeding them and nurturing them, but in the end, life will flip and reverse the roles. To save us grandchildren from the harsh reality of emotional goodbyes, our parents hold back their tears. So dignified and yet callous; such is the way of life and the ending of one. My mother wouldn’t leave the bed for a full week after my granny was laid in the shared plot next to my grandfather.

I wish I could say that in my granny’s final hours, she left us with the warm and kind words of wisdom and love that she would have given us when she was healthy. It was not a movie scene, and the reality of our elders passing usually means their mind slips long before their heart gives.

When it was my turn to approach, I put my hand on her foot at the end of the bed and asked her how she was. A typical, stupid Irish question. She looked me deadpan in the eyes and asked who I was. My mother reminded her and to my relief, she said my name and didn’t tell me off for not visiting more.

I said I would come to visit her when she was better, but the lump in my throat was telling me it was time to leave and find somewhere quiet where I could be alone. My granny slipped away a little later.

The following week, we started to hear snippets of news about Covid-19, and how it had begun to ravage communities abroad. Few people knew then how this new virus would take numerous grandparents from unfortunate families across the world.

Very few knew then that they should start planning to make memories with the time they still had with their elders. Few knew then and, in many ways, we never truly show gratitude for what is beside us. In this modern world, we are programmed to reach for the things that lie before us, at a cost for the people we neglect behind us.

My grandmother was loving, caring and empathetic. She grew up in a time when Travellers lived in cold makeshift tents, and babies died before they could say their names. Granny lived through the years of pitching up on the sides of roads, the years of sleeping on beds made of hay and the smell of campfire sticking in their hair.

My grandfather, Edward, died when I was nine months old – too young to remember him holding me. My grandmother was the thread that kept her 13 kids and more than 60 grandchildren together, like a well-needled blanket, keeping us all warm and covered in her wonder.

She would be at every baptism, wedding, funeral and holiday gathering. Her favourite thing to do was to say a prayer to Our Lady, give out holy medals and sing Lady of Knock, our Queen of Peace. She sang as they would have around a campfire, with no music and silent, encouraging faces. Granny always dressed well, always in lovely hats.

She lived through the death of her son at age 38 to liver failure and her daughter at age 40 to cancer. One of her grandchildren in their early 30s took their own life. Yet, through all the hardships and personal tragedies, my granny prayed and hoped for a better life for all of us.

She would love to fly to Medjugorje and Lourdes, to pray for the whole family and friends, saving up all year to buy us holy medals, holy water and bracelets. She went on pilgrimages and walking tours right up to her 70s, until her health and hips no longer allowed it. At Knock, at the shrine of Our Lady, she would pray the sins away for her family.

She would spend the year knitting blankets to send to Chernobyl to help orphans – or to wherever parish leaders said help was needed – or would raffle the blankets off to friends and family and send the money raised instead.

She would sit for hours in her chair by the window, next to the TV and her range fire, with spools of wool covering the floor. In her later years, she would use tongs to pick up any fallen yarn.

I still have the blanket my granny knitted and gifted my mother the day I was born and I use it in the winter when it is cold, or on a night when there’s a different type of warmth and embrace required. You will never feel lonely or cold under a blanket made from a granny’s love.

My granny was a superhero. But it was only in the past five years that I visited her regularly. Life has a way of forcing priorities on us. It smothers us with bills, work, education, stress, or anxiety. Looking back now, I would gladly change my priorities but hindsight is the temptation we can never truly indulge, apart from memories.

It’s cliché, I know, but memories are all we really have in the end, and if we are honest with ourselves, we never make enough of them. I see it with my parents. I visit them once a week, at most, and far less now with the pandemic.

I’m not writing this piece with the perspective drawn solely from my ethnic background. Losing elders is not unique to anyone. This sense of loss is one that we all share. No one gets to live life without feeling the pangs of bereavement. No one gets out alive.

But while we are all connected and equal in bereavement, some groups face it much sooner, and more often. The Irish Traveller community has lower life expectancies than our non-Traveller neighbours. Just 3 per cent of Travellers were older than 65 at the time of the 2016 Census.

That cannot be true, can it? If so, at 35 years, I am now a middle-aged man. If I wanted to get a mortgage, I would most likely be either dead by the time it is paid off or, at the most, own my own home for about five years. A Traveller over 40 would be labelled, correctly, as old.

My parents are now in their mid-to-late 50s. I know I need to cherish and hold on to the years that lie ahead. They are considered to be in old age now, yet too young for a pension. Most Travellers are dead before they reach pension age.

It is not just our elders who die much sooner than our non-Traveller friends and neighbours. Irish Travellers are six times more likely to take their own lives than the rest of society, according to the All Ireland Traveller Mental Health Study in 2010.

Martin Beanz Warde: ‘My granny didn’t care who I loved, as long as I could love myself equally.’ Photograph: Joe O’Shaughnessy

Mental health issues do not know the difference between who is a Traveller and who is not. They do not discriminate. Only, they do. Did I just low-key drop in the discrimination card? Bring up racism or discrimination, and we are told we are drawing a card.

We marginalised groups meet up once a month to play the racism card game, where we swap cards with other players for more powerful ones. The Traveller card can often be found at the bottom of the pile because no one really cares about that one, not really.

The stronger cards are usually whatever is popular on social media right now. So spare a thought for Travellers when you judge us for the actions of a few morons on YouTube causing trouble. Don’t give us a hard time, and if you really just can’t bring yourself to be nice to us, don’t worry, the ones you don’t like will be dead soon. The statistics promise it.

Where does this discrimination come from anyway? It is there in the 80 percent unemployment rate that Travellers face, shown in 2016 Census figures. And in the findings of a 2017 Behaviour and Attitudes survey, that 83 per cent of people wouldn’t hire a Traveller, regardless of education or experience.

Or in the fact that, in recent years, we have seen how babies less than one year old have had their information logged on to the Pulse system, a criminal database used by An Garda Síochána. The optics of this is, of course, that from birth, Travellers are seen and treated as criminals.

Kept out of jobs, marked from birth by gardaí – that, and more, chips away at our mental health, and shortens the years we have to live.

Yet some, somehow, make it to an older age. My granny was the kindest person I have ever known. A few years ago, I spoke to her about my sexuality. It was just after Christmas 2018, and we were having the craic and she sang a song. She was in her big chair, knitting. I made us cups of tea and we got chatting.

She was curious about my private life because a few months earlier I had been on RTÉ’s The Cutting Edge series, where I spoke about being gay. She would never be so rude as to ask straight out, so had come at the topic in a roundabout way, asking if there was someone in my life. I told her that I like men and that I was gay.

I had hoped to document a conversation with her on a good camera, because the message she spread as a devout Catholic and religious-minded elder, would have been beneficial for younger generations holding homophobic opinions based on their idea of religious responsibility.

“As long as you love yourself as much as you love the other,” she told me.

My granny didn’t care who I loved, as long as I could love myself equally. She was always spreading that message. Be it religious or simply kind, it hit home the same.

I will never have the opportunity to ask my granny more about her life growing up. I would have loved to hear more about her as a kid, what her dreams for the future were and what fears she had. I would have loved to hear more about her parents and her grandparents and what their lives were like.

We should all take note of our elders. They have lived through it all before us, even when we think they are so outdated. We rarely show the respect our elders deserve until they are once again at one with the Earth. When we lose our elders, we lose a living piece of our history, our connection to our roots. We lose the threads to our blankets.

Recently, in honour of my granny, I bought a 4k Panasonic GH5 camera, in the hope that I could document some of the elders that remain, to save their messages on screen, to share them with the world. Because there is no use in crying for the past, when we neglect them in the present.

This article first appeared in The Dublin Inquirer. Martin Beanz Warde is a stand-up comedian and writer from the Irish Traveller/Minceir community

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Stand Up for Irish Travellers

Martin Warde talks about his journey to becoming the first Irish Traveller comedian.

Martin Warde is the first Irish Traveller to become a professional comedian. In this talk he recounts his early years travelling before his family settled down and he and his brothers attended school in Galway. His school days weren't easy, he and other traveller boys were treated differently. One teacher however inspired him to pursue his dream of being a performer. Now as a writer and comedian focussing on Traveller life Martin examines the surprising ways people in which respond to his material - both travellers and the settled community. Martin argues it's important to engage in comedy that can make you feel uncomfortable.

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23 Best Irish Comedians (Of All Time)

By Author Keith O'Hara

Posted on Last updated: October 13, 2023

For a small island, there’s an almost never-ending list of exceptional Irish comedians, both young and old.

And, although it’s the likes of Graham Norton and Brendan O’Carroll that tend to get a lot of the attention, there’s a heap of often-overlooked Irish comics that guarantee a giggle.

In this article, you’ll find a mix of Irish stand up comedians that you’ll have heard of along with plenty you probably won’t have. Enjoy!

Table of Contents

The best Irish comedians

Now, a quick disclaimer – the article below is in no particular order. Each of the Irish comics below are, in our opinion, well worth checking out.

You’ll find everyone from Joanne McNally and PJ Gallagher to Dara Ó’Briain, Tommy Tiernan and much more.

1. Brendan O’Carroll

Brendan O’Caroll is arguably one of the most famous Irish comedians. Born in the town of Finglas in Dublin in 1955, he is the well-known face of foul-mouthed Agnes Brown in the Irish TV show Mrs Brown’s Boys.

As well as being a comedian, he’s an actor, producer and writer. In 2015, he received the Irish Film and Television Academy Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to Irish television.

Few Irish comics have achieved the success that Brendan O’Carroll has. And, while he’s best know for his hit TV show, there’s some excellent footage of his stand up shows available online.

2. Brendan Grace

The hilarious Brendan Grace is best remembered as “Bottler”, a comedy schoolboy character, and later as Father Fintan Stack in the TV sitcom Father Ted.

Born in 1951 in Dublin’s Liberties neighbourhood, Brendan also starred in the Irish drama Moondance.

He was also a singer and his hit releases include “The Dutchman” and “The Combine Harvester”.

3. Joanne McNally

Joanne McNally is one of a handful of Irish comedians that’s currently experiencing monumental success.

If you haven’t already, the podcast she co-hosts with Vogue Williams, ‘My Therapist Ghosted Me’, is well-worth a listen!

Over the years, she co-hosted RTÉ 2’s flagship comedy show, Republic of Telly, and has had a string of popular stage shows, including the sell-out Prosecco Express tour.

4. Dara Ó’Briain

Dara Ó’Briain is one of the more famous Irish comedians and television presenters and he’s arguably best known for hosting the likes of “Mock the Week” and “The Panel”.

Ó’Briain’s insightful and witty style has seen him amass considerable recognition in both Britain and Ireland.

Known for his storytelling and crowd interaction, Ó’Briain’s stand-up shows often revolve around observational humour.

Aside from comedy, he’s also frequently seen on science-based shows, like “Dara Ó’Briain’s Science Club” and “Stargazing Live”.

5. Dermot Morgan

Few Irish comics are as widely loved as Dermot Morgan . He was an Irish comedian and actor that shot to fame during his portrayal of Father Ted Crilly in the cult comedy series “Father Ted”.

Known for his sharp wit and satirical humour, Morgan initially gained recognition through radio sketches and stand up shows.

Tragically, his career was cut short by a sudden heart attack in 1998, but his comedic legacy continues to live on.

6. Hal Roach

Hal Roach was a renowned Irish comedian. Often dubbed the “King of Blarney”, Roach boasts a career that spanned an impressive six decades.

Known for his quick wit, Roach was famous for his storytelling and one-liners, particularly in the pubs of Dublin.

He was a regular at the Olympia Theatre in Dublin and set a record of making 25 consecutive appearances at the Royal Variety Performance in London.

7. Pat Shortt

Born in Thurles in County Tipperary, Pat Shortt first gained fame as part of the comedy duo ‘ D’Unbelievables ‘ with Jon Kenny.

He’s arguably best known for playing the fairly odd Tom in Father Ted (yep, the lad with the mono-brow that you’d see sitting on a wall).

Most recently, you’ll have seen Shortt in the hugely popular ‘ Banshees of Inisheerin ‘ staring Brendan Gleeson and Colin Farrell.

8. Foil, Arms and Hog

‘ Foil, Arms and Hog ‘ are a comedy trio made up of Sean Finegan (Foil), Conor McKenna (Arms) and Sean Flanagan (Hog).

The chances are you’ll have seen one of their sketches go viral on the likes of Instagram or Facebook!

The trio have amassed a huge following on YouTube with sketches such as ‘Getting Past US Immigration’ and ‘When Irish People Can’t Speak Irish’.

9. Aisling Bea

Aisling Bea is an Irish comedian, actress, and writer known for her energetic, engaging style of comedy.

She broke onto the scene in 2013, winning the “So You Think You’re Funny” award at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

As an actress, she’s appeared in numerous TV shows, and she created and starred in the critically-acclaimed comedy-drama series “This Way Up”.

Bea is also a regular on British comedy panel shows such as “QI” and “8 Out of 10 Cats”.

Related read: See our guide to 13 of the best Irish TV shows

10. Maureen Potter

Maureen Potter was a beloved Irish actress, singer, and comedian, celebrated for her talent in both drama and comedy.

She started her career in theatre as a child, eventually becoming a mainstay at the Gaiety Theatre in Dublin. Known for her versatility, Potter performed in pantomimes, revues, and dramatic roles.

Her one-woman shows were especially popular, showcasing her comedic timing, musical talent, and storytelling ability. Potter, who passed away in 2004, left an indelible mark on the Irish entertainment industry.

11. Tommy Tiernan

Tommy Tiernan is arguably one of the most famous Irish comedians on-the-go at the minute and he’s known for his energetic, free-wheeling, and often controversial style of stand-up comedy.

He achieved international recognition by winning the Perrier Comedy Award at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 1998.

Tiernan has also appeared in several TV shows and films, notably playing Da Gerry in the successful sitcom “Derry Girls”.

Additionally, he hosts “The Tommy Tiernan Show” on RTÉ, where he interviews guests without prior knowledge of who they’ll be, demonstrating his quick wit and improvisational skills.

12. Dylan Moran

Dylan Moran is an Irish comedian, writer, and actor known for his distinctive observational and often absurdist humuor.

He gained fame with his successful show “Monster” and for co-writing and starring in the British sitcom “Black Books”, where his portrayal of misanthropic bookshop owner Bernard Black garnered critical acclaim.

Moran was the youngest ever winner of the Perrier Comedy Award at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 1996.

His style, marked by sharp wit, poetic language, and visual storytelling, cements him as a key figure in contemporary comedy.

13. Pauline McLynn

Pauline McLynn is an Irish actress and author, best known for her role as Mrs. Doyle in the popular Irish comedy “Father Ted”.

Her portrayal of the tea-obsessed housekeeper earned her significant recognition and multiple awards. Outside of “Father Ted”, McLynn has had a diverse acting career in both TV and theatre.

As a writer, she’s penned several novels. While not primarily known as a comedian, her comic timing and skilful character work have contributed significantly to her acclaim in the world of comedic acting.

14. Jarlath Regan

Jarlath Regan is an Irish comedian and writer, known for his witty observational humor and engaging storytelling.

He’s made numerous appearances on British and Irish television, including panel shows and stand-up comedy programs.

Regan is also the creator and host of the successful podcast “An Irishman Abroad”, which features interviews with notable Irish personalities living overseas.

His blend of humor and heartfelt conversation has made the podcast a favorite among audiences and critics alike, cementing his place in contemporary Irish comedy.

15. Sharon Horgan

Sharon Horgan is a highly acclaimed Irish actress, writer, and producer. Known for her sharp wit and insightful storytelling, she co-wrote and starred in the critically acclaimed sitcoms “Pulling” and “Catastrophe”, the latter earning her several award nominations.

Horgan also co-created and produced the successful HBO comedy “Divorce”. Her work often explores the complexities and humor in everyday relationships and life situations.

As a central figure in contemporary Irish comedy, Horgan continues to push boundaries and influence the television landscape.

16. PJ Gallagher

PJ Gallagher is an Irish stand-up comedian and actor, recognised for his energetic performances and animated storytelling.

He gained significant attention through his candid, often outrageous, hidden camera show “Naked Camera”, in which he portrayed multiple characters.

Gallagher has also appeared on numerous Irish TV and radio programs. As an actor, he’s known for his role in the RTE Two sitcom “The Young Offenders”.

With a career spanning over two decades, Gallagher remains a significant figure in Irish comedy.

17. Ardal O’Hanlon

Ardal O’Hanlon is an Irish comedian and actor, best known for his portrayal of the naive Father Dougal McGuire in the hit Irish comedy “Father Ted”.

His comic acting and unique style of stand-up comedy, often playing on his innocent, bewildered persona, have earned him significant recognition.

O’Hanlon has also starred in the British comedy-drama “Death in Paradise” and has penned several novels.

With his distinct blend of whimsical and observational humor, he continues to be a prominent figure in comedy.

18. Lisa McGee

Lisa McGee is a talented Irish playwright and screenwriter, best known for creating the BAFTA-nominated sitcom “Derry Girls”.

The series, which humorously portrays the lives of teenage girls during The Troubles in Northern Ireland, has won critical acclaim for its sharp wit and poignant storytelling.

McGee’s writing, often based on her own experiences growing up in Derry, has a distinct voice that resonates with audiences.

While not a comedian herself, her contributions to comedy through her writing have been significant.

19. Graham Norton

Graham Norton is an Irish television and radio presenter, comedian, and author, renowned for his distinctive comedic style.

He is most famous for hosting the multi-award-winning talk show “The Graham Norton Show” on the BBC, where his charismatic interviewing and sharp humour have endeared him to audiences worldwide.

Norton has also provided commentary for the Eurovision Song Contest and hosts a popular radio show on BBC Radio 2.

His successful forays into fiction writing further highlight his versatile talent.

20. Maeve Higgins

Maeve Higgins is an Irish comedian, author, and podcaster known for her unique blend of observational and self-deprecating humor.

She first gained attention in Ireland through TV and radio appearances before moving to New York, where she co-hosts the climate change podcast “Mothers of Invention”.

Higgins has also penned several books, intertwining humor with memoir-style storytelling. As an actress, she has featured in the film “Extra Ordinary”, further showcasing her talent.

Her distinct comedic voice has resonated with international audiences.

21. Eleanor Tiernan

Eleanor Tiernan is an Irish comedian known for her insightful, often satirical humor. She first gained attention in the comedy scene after becoming a finalist in the “So You Think You’re Funny” competition at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Tiernan’s stand-up often explores societal norms and personal experiences with a distinctive deadpan delivery.

She has made numerous appearances on Irish and UK TV and radio programs and has toured with other Irish comedians, including her cousin, Tommy Tiernan.

22. Tara Flynn

Tara Flynn is an Irish actress, comedian, and writer, celebrated for her wit and talent in both comedic and dramatic roles.

She’s made notable contributions to sketch comedy on television and radio, and her live performances often incorporate a mix of satire, music, and storytelling.

As a writer, Flynn uses humor to address serious social issues, notably in her books “You’re Grand” and “Giving Out Yards”.

What great Irish stand up comedians have we missed?

I’ve no doubt that we’ve unintentionally left out some brilliant Irish comics from the guide above.

If you have any Irish stand up comedians that you’d like to recommend, let me know in the comments below and I’ll check it out!

FAQs about famous Irish comedians

We’ve had a lot of questions over the years asking about everything from ‘What are some good old Irish comedians?’ to ‘What’s a good Irish comedy show?’.

In the section below, we’ve popped in the most FAQs that we’ve received. If you have a question that we haven’t tackled, ask away in the comments section below.

Who is the most successful Irish comedian?

You could argue that the most successful Irish stand up comedians are Tommy Tiernan and Dara O’Brian. Both have also had success with TV shows, too.

Who are the three Irish comedians?

This question comes in a lot and, from what we can tell, it refers to the Irish comics Foil, Arms and Hog who tend to go viral only frequently.

Keith O’Hara has lived in Ireland for 35 years and has spent most of the last 10 creating what is now The Irish Road Trip guide. Over the years, the website has published thousands of meticulously researched Ireland travel guides, welcoming 30 million+ visitors along the way. In 2022, the Irish Road Trip team published the world’s largest collection of Irish Road Trip itineraries . Keith lives in Dublin with his dog Toby and finds writing in the 3rd person minus craic altogether.

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11 Most Famous Irish Comedians

Categories Culture and Food

Are you ready to meet the most famous Irish comedians?

The Irish people are noted for their fun-loving nature, great wit, and incredible sense of humor. They possess an amazing talent when it comes to poking fun at themselves and tickling other people’s funny bones. They are so good at it it’s probably in the Irish genes!

The notorious Irish sense of humor has made an imprint in the world of comedy. Ireland has produced quite numerous famous comedians, so choosing the top ones proved to be a challenge.

Check out if your most loved comedian has made it to our list of the most famous Irish comedians below.

Things you'll find in this article

1. Tommy Tiernan

2. dylan moran, 3. dara ó briain, 4. aisling bea, 5. des bishop, 6. david o’doherty, 7. jason byrne, 8. p. j. gallagher, 9. maeve higgins, 10. ardal o’hanlon, 11. graham norton.

One of the most successful Irish comedians of all time, Tommy Tiernan is also an actor , writer , and presenter. His influence was the American stand-up comedian Lenny Bruce.

A native of Carndonagh, County Donegal , Tiernan is most well-known for his brilliant career in stand-up comedy, portaying the role of Gerry in the British sitcom Derry Girls and hosting The Tommy Tiernan Show.

Since his debut in 1993, Tiernan has performed in various sell-out gigs in some of the most prominent arenas across Ireland and the United Kingdom.

A legend in Irish comedy, Dylan Moran is best noted for his observational comedy. His name has become synonymous with the Emerald Isle .

Moran’s most notable show is Black Books, a British sitcom that he also co-wrote. He is also noted for his comedy movies like the 2004 zombie comedy Shaun of the Dead and the 2007 comedy Run Fatboy Run, both alongside British comedian Simon Pegg.

Moran also starred in the 2008 A Film with Me in It, an Irish black comedy movie.

Moran is often regarded as one of the leading Irish comedians of today and continues to perform numerous stand-up acts in comedy festivals.

If there was one really easily recognized Irish comedian, it would be Dara Ó Briain.

The Bray , County Wicklow, native started out slow compared with the others when it comes to the comedy circuit in Ireland and the United Kingdom. However, Ó Briain’s steady rise to the top is remarkable. He has now become one of the most famous comedians in the Emerald Isle .

Ó Briain also writes in television comedy and documentary series. His show at the 2005 Edinburgh Festival Fringe holds the record for being the biggest-selling solo comedy show of the festival’s history.

His most notable works and roles include Don’t Feed the Gondolas, The Panel, The Apprentice: You’re Fired!, and School of Hard Sums.

Born Aisling Clíodhnadh O’Sullivan in Kildare , our top 4 most famous Irish comedian is known professionally as Aisling Bea.

Bea is best known as the second woman to ever win the “ So You Think You’re Funny ?” award at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival for her stand-up comedy.

Besides comedy, Bea also acts and writes. She trained as a dramatic actress but was instead cast mainly in comedy shows on TV such as Dead Boss and Cardinal Burns. It was during the Dead Boss taping that Bea decided to try her hands at stand-up comedy and the rest, as they say, is history.

While Des Bishop is not originally from Ireland, being born in London and brought up in New York, he moved to the Emerald Isle when he was 14 years old and now primarily lives in Dublin.

Bishop’s comedy covers many socially relevant issues such as poverty and even cancer.

His brother Aidan is also a comedian in Ireland. Together they manage the International Comedy Club.

One of the top Irish stand-up comedians is David O’Doherty, a legend in Irish comedy who is also an actor , playwright, author , and musician.

Music runs in O’Doherty’s blood because his father is the celebrated jazz pianist Jim Doherty. However, comedy is what the younger O’Doherty is best at. A master of musical comedy and surreal humor, his stand-up has won numerous international awards.

O’Doherty was still attending Trinity College Dublin in 1998 when he started his career in comedy, first performing at the Comedy Cellar in Dublin. He has never looked back since.

Specializing in observational comedy and surreal humor, Jason Byrne was born in the suburb of Ballinteer in Dublin. He has made frequent appearances in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Besides being a stand-up comedy, Byrne is also a presenter and author. He wrote and published a series of books about a young Irish boy who has constant misfortunes. The book, entitled The Accidental Adventures of Onion O’Brien , is based on his own experiences growing up in Ireland.

Byrne’s most notable works and roles include the British sitcom Father Ted and the 1999 TV adaptation of Alice in Wonderland.

Jason Byrne has inspired our next top Irish comedian, P. J. Gallagher, having worked together on the comedy chat show called The Jason Byrne Show.

Gallagher has created a big name for himself in Irish comedy, best known for his TV show Naked Camera, together with fellow Irish comedian and friend Maeve Higgins. He has also portrayed the role of a mentally unstable cab driver Jake Stevens and an old lady who makes sexual remarks (a “Dirty Auld One”).

P. J. Gallagher is also a motorbike racer and is good friends with Jason Byrne.

This funny female comedian hails from Cobh , County Cork , and began her career in stand-up comedy in 2005. Today Maeve Higgins is one of the funniest Irish female comedians known for hilarious comedy skits.

Higgins co-wrote Naked Camera and starred in it alongside friend and fellow comedian P. J. Gallagher.

Higgins is also an author, publishing a compilation of essays entitled We Have A Good Time, Don’t We? in 2012. She is also a regular panelist on the Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me! show and has performed in numerous comedy festivals across the globe.

Ardal O’Hanlon was born in Carrickmacross, County Monaghan . Growing up, O’Hanlon was always the weird and watchful kind of child.

He established the International Comedy Cellar in Dublin with fellow comedians Kevin Gildea and Barry Murphy. In 1994, he won the Hackney Empire New Act of the Year competition for his stand-up act.

He was discovered and cast as Father Dougal McGuire in the very popular British sitcom Father Ted. O’Hanlon also played George Sunday (aka Thermoman) in My Hero and DI Jack Mooney in the British–French crime comedy drama TV series Death in Paradise.

O’Hanlon wrote a novel entitled The Talk of the Town. It was published in 1998 and released as Knick Knack Paddy Whack in the United States.

One of the most critically-acclaimed Irish comedians, Graham Norton has five BAFTA TV awards for his comedy chat show The Graham Norton Show and three more for for So Graham Norton, making one of the most popular Irish people locally and abroad.

A native of Clondalkin, County Dublin, Norton is also an author, broadcaster, and commentator. He was born Graham William Walker, but changed his name to his great-grandmother’s maiden name, Norton, because there was already an actor named Graham Walker when he started.

Apart from the awards for his comedy, Norton also won the Popular Fiction Book of the Year award for his 2016 Irish crime novel entitled Holding.

Hi, I’m Christine – a full-time traveler and career woman. Although I’m from the Philippines, my location independent career took me to over 40 countries for the past 8 years. I also lived in 3 continents – from the Caribbean, South East Asia to Africa. But despite living in several countries, my love for Ireland remains the same. A country that had been a part of my life since I was 14 because of my love for Irish music and bands. Ireland Travel Guides was born because of this passion and hopefully, in some little ways, this website will be able to help you on your next trip to Ireland.

List of Irish Traveller–related depictions and documentaries

Irish Travellers have been depicted in film, radio, and print. Some depictions have been both negative, while some have been with care and sympathy. This page cites Irish Traveller -related books, documentaries, films, and other forms of media documentation and/or depiction.

Documentaries

Non fiction, television series.

King Of The Gypsies (1995) — a documentary film about Bartley Gorman, undefeated Bareknuckle Champion of Ireland and Great Britain.
My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding (2010–2015) and spinoff series Big Fat Gypsy Weddings — a Channel 4 television documentary series about Irish Traveller weddings.
John Connors: The Travellers . RTE - (2017) A three documentary series about the history and culture of Irish travellers which won the 2018 IFTA for best documentary series.
Blood of the Travellers , a 2011 RTÉ broadcast documentary of Francis Barrett interviewing Travellers and social historians and using DNA to find out the origin of the Travellers as a group. [1] [2]
Gypsy Blood (2012), a hard hitting observational documentary screened by channel 4, about two bare-knuckle fighting Pavee families noted for their bare-knuckle fighting passed on from father to son.
When Paddy Met Sally (January 2012) is a two-part documentary that aired on Channel 5 in the UK, which charted the adventures of Speaker's wife Sally Bercow as she became the first outsider to stay on Paddy Doherty's Traveller site in north Wales.
I Am Traveller , RTE 2016. An authored piece by John Connors, directed by Kim Bartley of Frontline Films and nominated for an IFTA for best documentary.
Southpaw: The Francis Barrett Story — a documentary following Galway boxer Francis (Francie) Barrett for three years and showing Francie overcoming discrimination as he progresses up the amateur boxing ranks to eventually carry the Irish flag and box for Ireland at the age of 19 during the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta . [3] The film won the Audience Prize at the 1999 New York Irish Film Festival.
Traveller , a documentary by Alen MacWeeney [4]
Unsettled: From Tinker to Traveller (2012) by Aoife Kelleher, Kim Bartley and Liam McGrath about two Californian anthropologists, George and Sharon Gmelch, returning to Dublin after 40 years to reunite with the travelers they lived with and studied. [5]
"Patrick: A Young Traveller Lost" (2023) by Alan Bradley about the devastating suicide crises within the Irish Traveller Community focussing on the story of 12 year old Patrick McDonagh. [6]
No Resting Place (1951)
Cathy Come Home (1966) for a section of the film. After being evicted from their home, Cathy and her family go to a caravan site populated by Irish Travellers. At a council meeting, they are denounced as "not real Gypsies". Their caravans are attacked with bricks and then set on fire, leading to the deaths of some children. This part of the film includes voice-over discussions with Travellers about their lifestyles and the harassment they often faced.
Flight of the Doves (1970)
The Field (1990) — a film in which farmer Bull McCabe's only son runs away with a family of Travellers.
Into the West (1992) — a film that tells the story of two Traveller boys running away from their drab home in Dublin.
Trojan Eddie (1996) – crime drama film directed by Gillies MacKinnon and starring Stephen Rea , Richard Harris , Stuart Townsend , Aislín McGuckin , Brendan Gleeson , and Sean McGinley . The soundtrack features "Tinker's Lullaby", written and performed by Pecker Dunne .
Traveller (1997) — A film, starring Bill Paxton , Mark Wahlberg , and Julianna Margulies , about a man joining a group of nomadic con artists in rural North Carolina.
Snatch (2000) — a film featuring Brad Pitt as a comically stereotyped " Pikey " and rogue, who is also a bare-knuckle boxing champion. [7] He is portrayed as having a deep love of his mother and family, in keeping with true life Traveller traditions, which place great emphasis upon family.
Man About Dog (2004) — A film featuring a group of Irish Traveller characters.
Pavee Lackeen : The Traveller Girl (2005) — a film directed by Perry Ogden that tells the story of an Irish Traveller girl (Winnie Maughan), her family, and her struggles in life. Most of the characters are played by the Maughan family themselves, including Winnie, the youngest daughter. [8]
Strength and Honour (2007) — film dealing with a man joining a Traveller boxing tournament in order to win money for his son's operation.
Fish Tank (2009) - an Irish Traveller camp is one of the main sites of the film and the male lead, played by Michael Fassbender , is implied to be an Irish Traveller.
King of the Travellers (2013) - In the Travelling community, a young man must put his past behind him and settle a long running feud between two families so he can be with the love of his life.
Trespass Against Us (2016) - a film featuring an Irish Traveller family, the Cutlers, in which Brendan Gleeson plays the patriarch Colby and Michael Fassbender plays his son Chad.
Float Like a Butterfly (2018) - a film focusing on an Irish Traveller girl who wants to be a boxer.
Songs from The Travellin' People by Pecker Dunne and Margaret Barry
Ewan MacColl 's 1964 album The Travelling People was entirely composed of songs about Gypsies and travellers. However, the song The Gypsy is a Gentleman contained some derogatory comments about Irish Travellers such as "if you find a pony grazing in your garden plot, don't blame the noble Gypsy but that awful tinker lot!"
The Tinker Menace; the diary of an Irish Traveller by Laura Angela Collins is a true story about an Irish Traveller family forced into Irish institutions such as the Magdalene Laundries , Industrial Schools in Ireland and the fight the Collins family are made go on to try gain justice from the State and Catholic Church . [9]
The Road To God Knows Where by Sean Maher. Autobiography of a Traveller, born in Tullamore in 1932. [10] Nan: The Life of an Irish Traveling Woman by Sharon Gmelch. Biography of Nan Donohue, an Irish Traveller, born in 1919 in Granard, Westmeath. Recounts her travels and experiences in the North and west of Ireland, England, and Dublin
Photographer Joseph-Philippe Bevillard has since 2010, documented the lives of the Irish Traveller in his photostream [11] The photostream is on Instagram since 2019 as "jpbevillard_colour". In 2014 he formed the Irish Travellers Photo Workshop which takes place every year. 2022 he published a book with his photos of the Irish Travellers: "Mincéirs" [12]
See You Down the Road by Kim Ablon Whitney — A novel about Travelers in the United States (written for readers aged 14 and older). [13]
Fork in the Road , a novel by Denis Hamill [14]
The Killing of the Tinkers , a novel by Ken Bruen [14]
Traveller Wedding — Novel by film director Graham Jones .
The Tent and Other Stories by Liam O'Flaherty . Jonathan Cape (London, England): 1926.
The Blue Horse , a novel by Marita Conlon-McKenna
Child of the Prophecy , by Juliet Marillier – Fainne's friend, Darragh, and his family are known as "tinkers" and horse-traders who travel the length of Ireland every year
Falling Glass , a novel by Adrian McKinty - the main character is a Pavee, and there is much discussion of Pavee lifestyle
King of the Travelers , by Bartley Gorman and Peter Walsh , An account of Bareknuckle champion Bartley Gormans life.
In the novel Winter's Bone by Daniel Woodrell , the protagonist Ree and the rest of her clan are named Dolly, a form of the Irish name Ó Dathlaoich, and are descended from the "Walking People." (See Muintir Murchada#Family surnames ) The Dollys also exhibit much of the "clannishness" and consciously preserved "differentness" often found in small ethnic minorities.
Crossing Lines main character Tommy McConnell (played by Richard Flood) comes from a family of Irish Travellers from Northern Ireland, although he is estranged from them due to their criminal activities. In episode 8 of season 2 ("Family Ties") his family ends up in the middle of a drug trafficking/murder investigation by Scotland Yard , and Tommy gets back in contact with them in order to find out the truth.
Dragonsdawn - by Anne McCaffrey includes as major characters the Connell family, who are part of a group of Irish Travellers.
Glenroe (1983–2001) — A spin-off of The Riordans featuring the Connors, a family of settled Travellers.
Jack Taylor involves a murder plot amidst a pair of feuding Irish Traveller families.
Jim Henson's The Storyteller (1988) — The episode "Fearnot" is a folk tale of a youth in search of fear. He befriends a "Tinker" on his journey.
Killinaskully — This RTÉ Irish sitcom features a Traveller character named Pa Connors, played by Pat Shortt .
Law & Order: Criminal Intent , Season 2, Episode 21, Graansha — this episode of the NBC television show focuses on the murder of a probation officer who hailed from an Irish Traveller family.
Pavee Lackeen ( Traveller Girl ) — 2005 documentary-style film depicting the life of a young Traveller girl that features non-actors in the lead roles. Its director and co-writer, Perry Ogden, won an IFTA Award in the category of Breakthrough Talent. [15]
The Riches (2007-2008) — An FX television series starring Eddie Izzard and Minnie Driver as Wayne and Dahlia Malloy, the father and mother of an American family of an Irish clan. The series revolves around their decision to steal the identities of a dead "buffer" family and hide out in their lavish mansion in suburban Baton Rouge, Louisiana .
The Riordans (1964–1979) — In this Irish television soap opera, many issues affecting the Traveller community were portrayed through the challenges faced by the Maher family.
The Sons of Anarchy S5/E5 ("Orca Shrugged", 2012) features a bare-knuckle fight between Irish American Jax Teller and Irish native Galen O'Shay , through which they work out their differences. This fight echoes others throughout the season (though not always bare-knuckle), through which SAMCRO members (e.g., Tig Trager and Herman Kozik ) express their tensions and bond. In his recap of "Orca Shrugged", Hitfix 's Geoff Berkshire writes: "The bare knuckle brawl between Jax and Galen O'Shay made me wonder if anyone on the "Sons" staff was influenced by the documentary "Knuckle." (That wouldn't be a bad thing.) [16]
Singin' Bernie Walsh — Character created and played by Irish comedian Katherine Lynch , who is known for her album Friends In Hi Aces and her singles "Dundalk, Dundalk", "Don't Knock Knock 'Til You've Tried It", and "Stand By Your Van". Singin' Bernie Walsh featured in both of Lynch's RTÉ comedy series Wonderwomen and Working Girls , which show her attempts at topping the Irish charts and achieving "inter-county-nental" fame.
Without a Trace — an episode [ which? ] of this CBS television show features a woman of Irish Traveller descent who had left the community and gone missing.
Moone Boy - Martin Moone begins dating an Irish Traveller girl whose family lives in the field next to the Moone family's house.
Norah's Traveller Academy , RTÉ2, January 2015. Norah Casey mentors 4 creative Traveller women in an Irish television series. [17]
Peaky Blinders - The Shelby Family and The Lee Family are Travellers. In the series Polly Gray (née Shelby) tells her son Michael that his grandmother was Birdie Boswell. The Boswells were for centuries one of England's largest and most important Traveller families. The Boswell clan were a large extended family of Travellers, and in old Nottinghamshire dialect the word bos'll was used as a term for Travellers and Romani in general. [18]
Glue (TV series) - TV series revolving around the murder of a Traveller teenager in Hampshire, England. [19]
By the Bog of Cats (1998) - written by Marina Carr
Mobile the Play (2010) — written and performed by Michael Collins and directed by Mick Rafferty
The Tinker's Curse (2007) - written by Michael Harding [20]
The Tinker's Wedding (premiered in 1909) - written by J.M. Synge
The Trailer of Bridget Dinnigan (2010) — written and directed by Dylan Tighe [21]
Main article bibliography

Quintessentially Irish review – Pierce Brosnan weighs in on scattergun study of Irishness

Brosnan to … Bolt? Frank Mannion’s follow-up documentary to Quintessentially British presents a grab bag of interviews – some with distinctly un-Irish personalities

I t features a definition of “the craic” but, frustratingly, this long, meandering documentary about Irishness contains only very small quantities of actual fun. It’s a follow-up from film-maker Frank Mannion to his 2022 doc Quintessentially British , but feels like a commission from Aer Lingus: something to watch inflight from Boston to Dublin, soothingly bland, relaxingly dull. Though to be fair, Mannion gets a big laugh when he archly asks a business expert: “What is it that brings international business to Ireland. The weather?”

The film is a series of interviews that contain, bizarrely, one or two with people in possession of very famous names but next to no connection to Ireland. Like Usain Bolt, who’s never set foot on Irish soil, but is fond of a pint of Guinness and had an Irish agent. We get a lot of Pierce Brosnan at home in sunny Malibu wearing a green blazer, telling stories that go off on random tangents. (One ends with his wife breastfeeding on a beach in Mexico next to Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell sunbathing topless.)

Elsewhere, no corner of Irish identity is untouched: James Joyce; the Troubles; how to make a great Irish coffee; the Irish famine; horse racing; Ireland’s rise as a tech hub; Irish mammies; the surprising influence of the Irish in French winemaking; the country’s booming film industry. Thank heavens, though, no U2. There’s a fair bit about “plastic paddies” – descendants of Irish emigrants who grow up misty-eyed and sentimental about the motherland. Cut to the White House and an exasperatingly dull St Patrick’s day press conference at the White House with Joe Biden (“the most Irish president since Kennedy”).

There are in fact one or two thoughtful interviews here. Irish-Nigerian broadcaster Emma Dabiri painfully remembers growing up as the only black girl in school in Dublin. The film also explores the prejudice faced by Irish immigrants to the US and the UK. (I grew up hearing stories about 60s London: the “no Irish” signs and colleagues of my dad at London Underground stations who refused to work with a “mick”.) But mostly, this just feels like a grab bag of interviews, everything thrown into together – a piece about reuniting Ireland with some comedy attempts by foreigners to say unpronounceable Irish names.

Quintessentially Irish is in UK and Irish cinemas from 26 April and the US from 12 March.

Documentary films
Pierce Brosnan

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James brown to receive lifetime achievement award at sports emmys, television academy honors revealed; four non-scripted series & three scripted series recognized.

By Lynette Rice

Lynette Rice

Senior TV Writer

16th Television Academy Honors Canceled In Latest Hollywood Events Shutdown

Television academy honors recipients for 2023 include prime video's 'as we see it', hbo max's 'we're here', netflix's 'mo'.

The Honors recipients will be celebrated during a recognition ceremony slated for Thursday, May 23 at Citizen News in Hollywood, CA.

Recipients are:

1000% Me: Growing Up Mixed (Get Lifted Film Company; HBO Documentary Films). From four-time Emmy-winner W. Kamau Bell, this documentary explores what it means to grow up mixed-race in America through conversations with multiracial children and their families in the San Francisco Bay Area, including his own. Bell tackles the joys and challenges of being multiracial in a country still deeply divided by race. (HBO|Max)

The 1619 Project (Harpo; Lionsgate Television; One Story Up Productions; The New York Times; Onyx Collective). This Emmy-winning nonfiction series is a dramatic expansion of the “The 1619 Project” created by Pulitzer Prize-winner Nikole Hannah-Jones and the New York Times Magazine. The series seeks to reframe America’s history by placing the consequences of slavery and the contributions of Black Americans at the very center of the national narrative, tackling issues surrounding racial justice, economic justice, reproductive justice, racism, democracy, criminal justice and reparations. (Hulu)

BEEF (A24; Universal Remote; Netflix). Created by Lee Sung Jin, this eight-time Emmy-winning series is an honest portrayal of loneliness and depression in the modern world. In BEEF, a road rage incident between two strangers – played by Emmy-winning actors Steven Yeun and Ali Wong – sparks a feud that brings out their darkest impulses. (Netflix)

Deadlocked: How America Shaped the Supreme Court (Showtime Documentary Films; Showtimes Networks; Trilogy Films). This documentary series examines the vital role the Supreme Court plays in the ongoing fight for civil liberties in the context of America’s shifting political landscape. From Chief Justice Earl Warren in the mid-20th century through the latest sessions under Chief Justice John Roberts, each of the four episodes features an in-depth look at pivotal cases that altered the state of the union. The series explores issues within the justice system, civil rights, women’s rights, and LGBTQ+ rights. (Showtime)

Heartstopper (See-Saw Films; Netflix). Based on the global best-selling graphic novels from author and creator Alice Oseman, Heartstopper stars Kit Connor and Joe Locke and explores the relationship between teens Charlie and Nick who discover their unlikely friendship might be something more as they navigate school and young love. The critically acclaimed, coming-of-age series celebrates the spectrum of LGBTQIA+ teen hood by centering its story and characters on queer love. (Netflix)

Lakota Nation vs. United States (Unceded Films, LLC; IFC Films). This documentary chronicles the Lakota Indians’ fight to protect their sacred land. This visually stunning program about indigenous Americans is a provocative testament to a land and a people who have survived removal, exploitation and genocide – and whose best days are yet to come. (AMC+)

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