Latest news with #TommyTiernan
Sunday World
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Sunday World
Comedian Peter McGann on how Irish comedy has come a long way from gags about the ‘gas Irish'
Wicklow-born Peter says: 'The Irishness of Tommy Tiernan is brilliant but in a really good way, like it's from the earth Viral comedian Peter McGann says Irish comedy has come a long way since bad jokes about the stereotypical drunken Irishman. Naming Tommy Tiernan and D'Unbelievables as some of the country's finest funnymen ever, Peter said mindless gags about the 'gas Irish' and the 'locked Paddy' have mostly been wiped from the comedy stage. Wicklow-born Peter says: 'The Irishness of Tommy Tiernan is brilliant but in a really good way, like it's from the earth. 'I think people learned the wrong lessons from Jon Kenny and Pat Shortt. 'Like you know the jokes, 'do you remember this used to happen in school?' And everyone's like, ha-ha. Or 'remember fizzy seven up, ha-ha', that's not funny. 'I think that even Tommy railed against the Irish aren't we gas. 'Or the, 'I came home, I was so drunk, I put the rashers in the toaster. Tommy he was making fun of that, like kind of back slap kind of thing, he was so right.' Peter is the latest guest on this week's episode of the culinary podcast, Under the Grill, with Kevin Dundon and Caoimhe Young. The Dublin-based dad-of-one continues: 'I loved Tommy Tiernan in the early years. 'To this day I'll catch myself and think 'jeez, that sounds like something Tommy would say', just in how it is phrased, not how funny it is. 'I do get inspiration from other comedians; I like the League of Gentlemen, and I've watched that a million times. 'It's stuff that I just soaked into me as a kid, and then it's kind of coming out unconsciously. There's very few of us really that comedy just comes to us completely, naturally.' Peter picked a delicious seafood chowder – served in a bowl made from sourdough – for chef Kevin Dundon to cook up in the podcast kitchen. Peter says: 'I haven't had it in years, but I feasted on seafood chowder every second day on what I now remember it as the best summer of my life. 'I was in college in Galway that summer, I was chasing a girl who is now my wife, and there used to be a stall in Galway selling seafood chowder in a bread bowl. I love fish, any kind of fish and a good chowder is heaven.' Peter has had a string of acting roles, with his latest being in Sky's Small Town, Big Story with Mad Men star Christina Hendricks, and created and directed by Chris O'Dowd. Peter, who plays a schoolteacher who is having an affair, says: 'It was a beautifully shot series, and I loved working on it. I can only hope there will be another series. 'I feel like TV shows these days there can be like five years between a season on all the big ones. So, who knows?.' In Small Town, Big Story a Hollywood production rolls into a small Irish town and throws the spotlight on a secret that's been kept hidden since the eve of the millennium. 'Chris O'Dowd was bang on. I got to know him on the shoot, and he was just gentle, and like such a good leader as well. He got everyone's blood pumping to make something good. 'It was a passion project for him, and I think it came off on the screen. He had a vision, and it works.' Watch Under the Grill on YouTube or listen wherever you get your podcasts. Caoimhe Young, Kevin Dundon, and Peter McGann Today's News in 90 Seconds - July 15th 2025
Irish Independent
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
‘We've come a long way from gags about the Irish lad who was so hungover he put the rashers in the toaster'
Naming Tommy Tiernan and D'Unbelievables as some of the country's finest funnymen ever, Peter said mindless gags about the 'gas Irish' and the 'locked Paddy' have mostly been wiped from the comedy stage. Wicklow-born Peter says: 'The Irishness of Tommy Tiernan is brilliant but in a really good way, like it's from the earth. 'I think people learned the wrong lessons from Jon Kenny and Pat Shortt. 'Like you know the jokes, 'do you remember this used to happen in school?' And everyone's like, ha-ha. Or 'remember fizzy seven up, ha-ha', that's not funny. 'I think that even Tommy railed against the Irish aren't we gas. 'Or the, 'I came home, I was so drunk, I put the rashers in the toaster. Tommy he was making fun of that, like kind of back slap kind of thing, he was so right.' Peter is the latest guest on this week's episode of the culinary podcast, Under the Grill, with Kevin Dundon and Caoimhe Young. The Dublin-based dad-of-one continues: 'I loved Tommy Tiernan in the early years. 'To this day I'll catch myself and think 'jeez, that sounds like something Tommy would say', just in how it is phrased, not how funny it is. 'I do get inspiration from other comedians; I like the League of Gentlemen, and I've watched that a million times. 'It's stuff that I just soaked into me as a kid, and then it's kind of coming out unconsciously. There's very few of us really that comedy just comes to us completely, naturally.' Peter picked a delicious seafood chowder – served in a bowl made from sourdough – for chef Kevin Dundon to cook up in the podcast kitchen. Peter says: 'I haven't had it in years, but I feasted on seafood chowder every second day on what I now remember it as the best summer of my life. 'I was in college in Galway that summer, I was chasing a girl who is now my wife, and there used to be a stall in Galway selling seafood chowder in a bread bowl. I love fish, any kind of fish and a good chowder is heaven.' Peter has had a string of acting roles, with his latest being in Sky's Small Town, Big Story with Mad Men star Christina Hendricks, and created and directed by Chris O'Dowd. Peter, who plays a schoolteacher who is having an affair, says: 'It was a beautifully shot series, and I loved working on it. I can only hope there will be another series. 'I feel like TV shows these days there can be like five years between a season on all the big ones. So, who knows?.' In Small Town, Big Story a Hollywood production rolls into a small Irish town and throws the spotlight on a secret that's been kept hidden since the eve of the millennium. 'Chris O'Dowd was bang on. I got to know him on the shoot, and he was just gentle, and like such a good leader as well. He got everyone's blood pumping to make something good. 'It was a passion project for him, and I think it came off on the screen. He had a vision, and it works.' Watch Under the Grill on YouTube or listen wherever you get your podcasts.
Irish Examiner
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
Tommy Tiernan review: Wild yarns, philosophical detours, and brilliant pisstakes at the Marquee
I spotted Tommy Tiernan today strolling down Cork's South Mall, dry cleaning slung over his shoulder like a man heading into battle — or at least into a hotel room. It was the kind of scene you only get in Cork: One of Ireland's most recognisable comedians, casually navigating pre-gig errands in the middle of town, shirt in bag, hat on head, and intense frown intact. He stopped to do a couple of selfies outside The Imperial, though. A sound man. That offbeat energy is exactly what fans got on Friday night as Tiernan brings his Tommedian tour to Live at the Marquee, a space he knows well. The audience are of a certain vintage, and all straining at the bit (and our belts). There's a delay with kick-off, thanks to the time it takes to get everyone's phone imprisoned in Yondr pouches, so it's close to 9pm by the time he saunters onstage. Tommy Tiernan on stage at Live at the Marquee in Cork on Friday night. Picture: Chani Anderson But his connection with Cork is long-standing and he's quickly forgiven. He's been gigging here since his early days, playing City Limits in the late '90s, and has always spoken fondly of the city's appetite for comedy that's both fearless and a little feral. Now a household name, Tiernan's career has spanned stand-up, acting, and of course the surprise knack he's shown for talk show hosting. He's known to international audiences as Gerry from Derry Girls and to Irish fans as the unpredictable host of 'The Tommy Tiernan show', RTÉ's cult hit where even he doesn't know who the guests will be. Makes perfect sense when you think about it. He's also fresh from a run at the Abbey Theatre, where he starred in Kevin Barry's acclaimed new play The Cave, cementing his reputation as a performer of real range. Tiernan's tour has been described as 'theatrical, poetical, and slightly unhinged' — that plays out tonight in the tent. Gaza, Jackie Kennedy, the importance of drink and drugs, singalongs — it's a mix of wild anecdotes, philosophical detours, and brilliant pisstakes. And the Bob-Dylan-meets-Shane-MacGowan bit was bloody brilliant. Kyla Cobbler, who came to many people's attention after her fearless appearance on 'The Tommy Tiernan Show' in April, opened for the comic at Live at the Marquee. File picture Opening tonight's show is another performer with a strong Cork connection — Kyla Cobbler, the dishevelled comic whose fearless appearance on 'The Tommy Tiernan Show' in April catapulted her into the national spotlight. Kyla first gained attention through viral Instagram reels before stepping on stage for her first open mic in May 2021. Her performance tonight was confident, with poor Dennis from Bishopstown an unwillingly patsy. One of Tiernan's most talked-about moments in recent years was his infamous interview with Roy Keane, where he pressed the famously guarded (and gorgeous) footballer in a way few dare. It was 'part sermon, part common sense, part emotional exorcism — and all unmistakably Tommy Tiernan' at Live at the Marquee in Cork. Picture: Chani Anderson That encounter was awkward, cringey, but ultimately revealing with some pure comedy moments, it was a back-and-forth that only Tiernan could have. Fittingly, the Mayfield man himself is set to appear on the same Marquee stage for a live 'In Conversation' event with Roddy Doyle on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday next week. Tonight, though, it's Tiernan's turn to command the tent. If his dry-cleaned shirt is anything to go by, he's came prepared. Part sermon, part common sense, part emotional exorcism — and all unmistakably Tommy. • Next up at Live At The Marquee, Tommy Tiernan's Tommedian show again on Saturday night, followed by An Evening with Roy Keane In Conversation with Roddy Doyle on July 7,8, and 9. Out and about at Live at the Marquee Jennifer O'Brien, Jean O'Driscoll, Tommy Slavantunovic, Chris O'Keefe, and Killian O'Keefe arriving at Live at the Marquee earlier on Friday evening for Tommy Tiernan's comedy gig. Picture: Chani Anderson Darren Lynch, Catherine Vaughan, and Emma Vaughan at Live at the Marquee for Tommy Tiernan's comedy gig. Picture: Chani Anderson Mike Sheehan, Niamh Curran, and Ava Fitzgerald arriving at Live at the Marquee ahead of Tommy Tiernan's comedy act. Picture: Chani Anderson Naomi Hourihane, Luke Keogh, Owen Keogh, and Shane Hourihane were at Live at the Marquee in Cork to see Tommy Tiernan. Picture: Chani Anderson Mark Vaughan, Michael O'Grady, and Sylvia Ribeiro at Live at the Marquee for Tommy Tiernan's comedy gig. Picture: Chani Anderson Tommy Tiernan brought his Tommedian show to Live at the Marquee in Cork on Friday night. Picture: Chani Anderson Paul and Ben Keohane at Live at the Marquee for Tommy Tiernan's comedy gig. Picture: Chani Anderson Geraldine McCarthy and Pat Morrissey from Passage West at Live at the Marquee for Tommy Tiernan's comedy gig. Picture: Chani Anderson Shona Murphy, Amira Sadick, and Nivene Sadick at Live at the Marquee for Tommy Tiernan's comedy gig. Picture: Chani Anderson Sarah Fitzgibbon, Georgia Squillacciotti, Ellen Chambers, and Derek Chambers at Live at the Marquee for Tommy Tiernan's comedy gig. Picture: Chani Anderson Jessica Walsh and Amy Burke at Live at the Marquee on Friday evening for Tommy Tiernan's comedy gig. Picture: Chani Anderson
Irish Times
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
Róisín Ingle: The c-word played a starring role in my Scrabble club's theatre outing
The Scrabble crew went on an outing to the Abbey Theatre the other night. This might be the most middle-class thing I've ever written except for the fact that later in this column I will be discussing how to boil quail eggs, and that obviously takes the ultimate prize. It's far from quail eggs I was reared but it's been a lifelong struggle to prove my working-class credentials having grown up in Sandymount, in the heart of the D-Fourtress as my Northsider children often remind me in mocking tones. Anyway, it was off to the Abbey in a limo for the Scrabble crew. (Only joking I cycled there on my new bike. I'm middle-class now.) We were all there for the opening night of the best play I have seen on an Irish stage in a very long time. The Cave by Kevin Barry is the bleakest of black comedies starring Aaron Monaghan , Judith Roddy and Tommy Tiernan . I say 'best play' but I see the Guardian only gave it three stars (the feckin' eejits) and Donald Clarke (who I usually trust) only gave it four . I am no critic, only a mere punter, but it's a full five stars from me and if I could give it a few extra I would. The Cave, directed superbly by Caitríona McLaughlin , is about the McRae brothers Archie and Bopper. They are two depressed, homeless, middle-aged, loquacious lads who are living in a cave on Zion Hill in Co Sligo . They are obsessed with an international soap star and her Irish boyfriend. Rural broadband being what it is, and Zion Hill being a dead zone, they don't have much by way of wifi coverage and they mainly live on stuff they've stolen from the nearest Lidl. Also, a 'ban garda' called Helen is on their case in a serious way. I want to be entertained in the theatre. Properly entertained. I want to be moved. To tears. To laughter. And it doesn't happen very often except when I am in the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre , where it's mostly musicals, which have a higher hit rate for all round entertainment in my experience. But this play? Boys oh boys, this play is the thing. Barry's way with words is a source of national pride and to hear his words thrown around the stage of our national theatre, from the mouths of such extraordinary performers, is exhilarating. READ MORE The c-word is used a lot in The Cave. More times, perhaps, than it has ever been uttered on that storied Abbey stage. No need for calls to Liveline - because the oldest word for female genitals in the English language, though long mired in misogyny, has been somewhat reclaimed in recent years. For a start it's no longer just a noun but an adjective, with The Oxford English Dictionary adding c**ty and c**tish to its pages in 2014. In some quarters, especially on the drag scene, it's now the highest of compliments. Playwright Barry's use of the word is not always complimentary but is always rich in language terms. I managed to get a copy of the script and there are nine mentions of the c-word or c-word-based derivatives. Helen the garda says it first referring to the 'c**ten Butlins sign'. Later she refers to 'the c**tology' that goes on around the Sligo town below the hill. At another point Bopper is upset about a celebrity who he describes as only a 'c**t from the grass o' two cows outside Durrow in Co Offaly'. Helen then refers to the McRae brothers as 'c**tologists'. Bopper another time talks about his one-time love of yoga, revealing that he was at the cat-and-cow pose 'like a c**t on fire', by which he means he was passionate about the pose. In another scene, Helen bemoans the trajectory of her Garda career: 'The c**ts took one look at me and they said, away!' Bopper is writing a country song: 'Oh the Bopper he walked by night ... had his fill o' the Sligo c**ts'. Later he discusses his fears, one of them being that he might die inside the Roscommon border 'coz the c**ts wouldn't throw a shovel o'dirt over you'. Bopper at another point tries to quieten Archie by saying: 'Shut the f**k up you f**ken c**t ya!' And that's all nine uses of the word in the best play I've seen at the Abbey since The Train for you now. Rest assured, there is an awful lot more to it than that. It made me laugh. And think. And, when I read the script, I cried. I can't stop thinking about Archie and Bopper and Helen. [ Curse words around the world have something in common (we swear) Opens in new window ] A few days after the Abbey, the Scrabble crew cycled over to my house from the Southside, by Luke Kelly's head, along our lovely Royal Canal Greenway, for the latest session of our tournament. There's a lot of canape one-upmanship going on in these Scrabble evenings. A certain person has started serving quail eggs dipped in cumin salt so there was nothing for it but to have a go. A medium quail's egg, it turns out, only needs three minutes to boil. It turned out some other Scrabble club members, people with much stronger critic credentials, held different views on The Cave. They felt it trivialised mental health issues and lacked political edge. Someone said the audience laughed too much. At which point, as though Barry himself was giving his verdict on all that, one player revealed the C-bomb nestling innocently in his rack. It's a valid Scrabble word.
Extra.ie
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Extra.ie
Major new acts announced for All Together Now line-up
Over 50 new acts have been added to the lineup for this years sold-out All Together Now festival, set to take place over the August Bank Holiday weekend from July 31 to August 3. Newly announced performers for the County Waterford festival include Primal Scream, The Voidz, The Boomtown Rats, Biig Piig and Buena Vista All Stars. Also returning is the 360-degree Arcadia Afterburner stage, along with the debut of a new creative space, Flourish, in collaboration with the Irish Music Rights Organisation. Talks In The Tent will feature appearances from Blindboy and Tommy Tiernan. View this post on Instagram A post shared by All Together Now (@ Organisers have warned fans not to purchase tickets or campervan passes from unofficial sources, citing a rise in reported scams. Those still seeking tickets are encouraged to register their interest via the festival's website in case more become available. This years headliners include Fontaines D.C., Nelly Furtado, London Grammar and Bicep. Now in its sixth year, the festival, which takes place in Curraghmore House Estate, has previously hosted major names like Nick Cave, Patti Smith, Iggy Pop, The Prodigy and The National.
