Galway Comedy Festival is bursting at the seams with comedy brilliance, all part of a 70-strong line-up of international stars, homegrown comedy greats, and emerging talent, playing 69 shows across 16 venues over 7 days and nights. You’d best start planning your week of ‘carefully curated craic’.

Patrick McDonnell
He will forever be iconic for being Eoin McLove, the Daniel O’Donnell spoofing country singer on Father Ted (“I have no willy!”), but Patrick has enjoyed a long career in stand-up comedy that continues to this day and he has been a feature on other iconic comedy shows like Naked Camera, Chris O’Dowd’s Moone Boy, and David McSavage’s acclaimed The Savage Eye. He also is the co-host of the podcast, Talking Ted, from the HeadStuff Podcast Network.

Joe Rooney
Joe Rooney’s unforgettable turn as gurrier priest, Fr Damo, in Father Ted, forever sealed his reputation in Irish comedy. A stand-up comedian, actor, screenwriter, musician and podcaster, over the last 20 years Joe has performed everywhere from Moscow to Muscat, and all places in between, including the Edinburgh Fringe, Glastonbury, and Kansas City Irish Festival, as well as festivals around Ireland. On his Podarooney podcast he has interviewed Aidan Gillen, Shazia Mirza, and Sean Lock. He also co-hosts the Father Ted podcast, Talking Ted, alongside Patrick McDonnell.

Kevin Gildea
Along with Barry Murphy and Ardal O’Hanlon, Kevin Gildea is one of the pioneering figures of Irish alternative comedy. He has played all the major comedy festivals in Ireland and is a regular at The Edinburgh Comedy Festival. He was a writer and performer on RTÉ’s Irish Pictorial Weekly and acted in Bridget and Eamonn and Father Ted. He has also been a script editor for many TV comedy shows.

DOORS: 19:00 | SHOW: 20:00 | Age 18+