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13th Dec 2018

“If it takes a drug, it takes a drug” – Tommy Tiernan reveals the unique way he writes his brilliant jokes

Eoghan Doherty

Tommy Tiernan

“I’d be giggling down the shed at that…”

There’s no denying that Tommy Tiernan is one of the greatest comedic minds this country has ever produced.

His wit, imagination and divilment are unrivalled and, when chatting to host Dion Fanning on this week’s episode of Ireland Unfiltered, the Navan man opened up about the very particular way he likes to create the comedy we all know and love.

“I started smoking cigars recently.

“I’ve a shed down the back of the garden and it takes about an hour to smoke a cigar. And I’m just, I’m sucking on it and these lines come to me.

“I’ve always had this feeling, ‘If it takes a drug, it takes a drug’, that’s the price.

“And I sit down in my shed with a treble espresso and a cigar, and I just, these lines… I might only get one line per cigar, but it feels like a wonderful way of passing the time.

“I came up with this one last week which was, ‘People often wonder is there life after death…’ and I wrote down, ‘Of course there is… it’s just not your life’.

“And that makes me laugh. I’d be giggling down the shed at that.”

So there you have it. The secret to writing great comedy is a treble espresso, a big cigar and a wee shed down the bottom of your garden. Easy.

The comedian, actor and writer also opened up on a wide range of issues, including the fact he didn’t have a “happy childhood”, the tensions of his home county, and the fact that he and President Michael D. Higgins love phoning each other for the craic.

You can watch the full interview with Tommy Tiernan right here. Enjoy…

You can listen to the latest episode of Ireland Unfiltered in its entirety by simply clicking here and you can use #IrelandUnfiltered to join the conversation on social.

Ireland Unfiltered, brought to you in partnership with Carlsberg Unfiltered, will be available everywhere you get your podcasts and on YouTube every Tuesday.