Comedy madness weekend in Duleek

Just when you thought things couldn't get any more depressing and dreary, Duleek Laughter Festival is here to save the day as comedy madness is about to hit for one weekend only - Friday and Saturday, 8th and 9th October. Local legend Joe Rooney is MC for both nights. Best-known for his role as Fr Damo in 'Fr Ted' and alongside Pat Shortt in 'Killinascully', his stand-up is a unique combination of intelligently surreal observations and stunningly frantic gyrations. Andrew Maxwell, the hilarious and thought-provoking Dublin comedian, will be the first to take to the stage on Friday night, 8th October. An intrepid social commentator, Maxwell has become one of the most promising stand-ups in Ireland and the UK over the last decade and brings it all back home for one night of hilarious comedy. Next up will be The Rubberbandits, who may just seem like comedy rapsters with plastic bags stretched across their heads, but The Rubberbandits combine Pythonesque absurdism, Limerick petty crime, iconoclastic cursing and downright blasphemy in their outrageous stage antics which ends up being ridiculously funny. Headlining on Saturday will be none other then Jason Byrne, fresh from a 14th sell-out year at the Edinburgh Comedy Festival. Byrne will bring his fringe show 'Jason Byrne 2010' to O'Neill's Pub. He is one of the most exciting live stand-up performer around and this tour may be the only chance to see him in Ireland for quite some time because, apart from the rest of the world wanting him, this autumn alone he will be working on a fifth series of 'Anonymous' (RTE 2), 'The Wildside' (BBC 1), a third series of 'The Jason Byrne Show' (BBC Radio 2) and a new radio sitcom 'Father Figure' (BBC Radio 2). Both nights will see a DJ after the comedy. Tickets are availabile from O'Neill's Pub in Duleek at €20. For Credit card bookings, call (087) 677 3800. The advice is to obtain tickets early to avoid disappointment as there are only limited places available.