One thing we do particularly well in Ireland is comedy and you don’t have to travel too far for a laugh, particularly in the capital. So prepare to sit back with a Jameson and take in a show in some of our favourite comedy venues in Dublin.
Ireland is often tagged as a nation of begrudgers, but one thing we are happy to brag about is our sense of humour, our fondness for a chuckle and the success of some our most well-known comedians on the international stage.
Dylan Moran, Tommy Tiernan and most recently, Chris O’Dowd, to name but a few have made an impact around the world having started out in Ireland and their success, as well as our natural inclination for spinning yarns, story-telling and love of a laugh means that people naturally associate Ireland with humour all around the globe.
As a result, you never have to travel too far to catch a glimpse of established and budding comedians in Ireland and Dublin is particularly well-served when it comes to rib-tickling entertainment.
Using O’Connell Street as your starting point, the Laughter Lounge on Eden Quay and just off O’Connell Bridge has played host to some of the most famous comedians in the world since its establishment in 2000 and features some of the top comic talent from home and abroad three nights a week.
Crossing the Liffey to the South Side, the International Bar on Wicklow Street features live comedy every single night of the week, with various themes on different nights of the week including comedy improve, the International Comedy Club, New Material Night and the longest running comedy club in Ireland, the Comedy Cellar, which has been running for the last 25 years.
Not far away from there is the Ha’penny Bridge Inn in Temple Bar, where the Capital Comedy Club was established in 2005 and now hosts all of the best known Irish comedians and some special guests on Wednesday and Sunday nights.
Within a (pretty big) stone’s throw of both the International Bar and the Ha’penny Bridge Inn is The Banker’s Bar on Trinity Street, a relative new kid on the block and a popular venue for Dubliners on the lookout for a laugh since 2008.
Finally, if you’re looking to combine a spot of food with a comedy gig (providing you can stop yourself spitting food over the performers) then you could do worse than the Bad Ass Café on Crown Alley in Temple Bar, where visitors can enjoy a dinner and a show for just €12.
Bad Ass Café is a sister club of Anseo on Camden Street, which on Wednesday nights hosts Laugh Out Loud, which costs only a fiver and has featured the likes of Tommy Tiernan, David O’Doherty and Neil Delamere over the years.
Now you know where to go, pack your sense of humour in your pocket, be ready to take absolutely no offence if picked on by the performers and get out for a good laugh in one of the comedy capitals of the world.
LISTEN: You Must Be Jokin’ with Aideen McQueen – Faith healers, Coolock craic and Gigging as Gaeilge
