Father Ted’s Ardal O’Hanlon comes to UCH in November

Ardal O’Hanlon, star of Death in Paradise, Father Ted, and My Hero (BBC), continues to tour his acclaimed stand-up shows worldwide.

Father Ted’s Ardal O’Hanlon comes to UCH in November

Top comic Ardal O’Hanlon is to bring his new show to Limerick later this year.

The comedian will call to the University Concert Hall on November 29 as part of his brand-new show The Showing Off Must Go On, which is touring to Ireland across the UK.

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Together with Kevin Gildea and Barry Murphy, O’Hanlon founded the International Comedy Cellar, upstairs in the International Bar on Dublin’s South Wicklow Street. Dublin had no comedy scene at the time. As a stand-up, O’Hanlon won the Hackney Empire New Act of the Year competition in 1994. For a time he was the presenter of The Stand Up Show.

He was spotted by Graham Linehan, who was to cast him as Father Dougal McGuire in Father Ted (1995–98). In 1995 he received the Top TV Comedy Newcomer at the British Comedy Awards for this role. In 1995, he appeared (as Father Dougal) in a Channel 4 ident (“Hello, you’re watching…. television”), and during Comic Relief on BBC1. This was followed by the award-winning short comedy film Flying Saucer Rock’n’Roll.

O’Hanlon moved into straight acting alongside Emma Fielding and Beth Goddard in the ITV comedy-drama Big Bad World, which aired for two series in summer 1999 and winter 2001. 

Ardal has been doing stand up for many years appearing on many shows including Live at the Apollo, Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow and Dave’s One Night Stand. In 1994 he won the Hackney Empire New Act of the Year.

The star of Fr Ted and My Hero is a British Comedy Award, BAFTA and Olivier nominated actor and comedian who has toured worldwide with his acclaimed stand-up show.

The latest shows see him dealing with the conflict of being a professional ‘show-off’ who continues to do stand-up comedy for money, despite being “very shy”.

“There’s an awful lot to talk about,” Ardal admits. “Especially in the last two or three years, the world has changed dramatically. There are lots of new things to deal with.”

“I’m a very reluctant show-off,” he says. “I come from a part of the world where showing off is anathema; it’s the worst thing you could possibly do.

“I love stand-up comedy, and I love performing, but I was always conscious that this is showing off and I’m slightly uncomfortable about that. I suppose the question I ask myself almost every day is ‘why do I do this?’ And as I get older, ‘why do I still do this?’ I suppose to some extent this is what I’m addressing in the show.”

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