Kilkenny festival line-up revealed

Visiting US comedians will include Greg Giraldo, Last Comic Standing judges Alonzo Bodden and Katheen Madigan and Shane Mauss, who has previously been named best stand-up at the HBO Comedy Arts Festival.

At today’s launch, Irish comics PJ Gallagher, Jason Byrne and Neil Delamere underwent a training session with football mmanager Jack Charlton, in preparation for the Ireland vs the Rest Of The World comedians football match, which is always a festival highlight.

This year’s evennt – which is sponsored by Carlsberg for the first time – will run over the five days of Ireland’s June Bank Holiday Weekend: May 28 to June 1. It boasts 62 comedians in 86 shows across 15 venues, with more than 25,000 tickets on sale.

Artistic director Eddie Bannon said: ‘There are 16 festival debuts in this year’s festival, from places as diverse as Tasmania, Holland and New York mixed with the classiest, on form national and international comedians around.

‘This represents a comprehensive snapshot of what’s new and exciting in the world of stand up comedy today. This year will be as exciting for the comedians as it will for the audience.’

Laura Douglas, brand manager for Carlsberg, said: ‘Comedy, sociability and laughter are an intrinsic part of being Irish, and Carlsberg’s humorous advertising and imaginative personality make it a terrific fit for the vibrant live comedy scene.’

Festival debuts include Russell Kane, John Richardson, Rhod Gilbert and Hans Teeuwan. For full details on the line up, visit www.carlsbergcatlaughs.com.

Published: 10 Mar 2009