...but church charity tuns down the proceeds

Tommy Tiernan has set a new world record for the longest solo stand-up show, after performing for just over 36 hours.

He took to the stage of Nuns Island in Galway at 3pm on Good Friday afternoon, and ended at 3.15am on Easter Sunday.

After the show, he said: 'Towards the end I didn’t think I was going to make it, but there was such good support from the audience. After about 30 hours I was finding it pretty hard to string a sentence together. I’m a bit busted after it all.'

He stood for almost the entire event, eating pasta, fruit, water and high-energy drinks on stage, and being allowed a five-minute break every hour. Guinness World Record rules also stated that there needed to be ten people in the audience at any time.

Tiernan plans to donate profits from the event to a charity to help homeless teenagers – even though trustees of the Galway Diocesan Youth Services have said they will turn down the money. The church-run charity says it did not want to be ‘associated with a comedy show’.

In a statement they said: ‘Tommy Tiernan's very kind offer to donate the proceeds of his show was initially gratefully accepted. However, on further reflection, it was felt that it was not appropriate for the organisation to be associated with a comedy show on this, the most solemn day in the Christian calendar.’

Before Tiernan’s attempt, there was no official record for the longest solo stand-up show. Guinness World Records adjudicator Katie Forde said: ‘Nobody was brave enough – or crazy enough – to attempt this before.’

As he prepared for he event, titled Testamental, he admitted he would have to tone down his usual high-energy performance.

‘It will be like the Sex Pistols doing an album of ballads,’ he said. ‘I have to mind my voice. I don’t want to end up sounding like Freddie Starr. I will have to be careful.’

Published: 13 Apr 2009