Stand-up in spite of himself

PJ Gallagher is out on tour while he awaits surgery on his injured leg, says Richard Fitzpatrick

PJ GALLAGHER is infectious company. You laugh before the punchlines. He started in comedy in 2001 when his friend, Jason Byrne, roped him into doing a support slot at Vicar St. Gallagher returns there for a show this weekend.

A few years later, his appearances on RTÉ’s candid camera show, Naked Camera, as, among others, Jake Stevens and a demented taxi driver, brought him to national prominence. In the last decade, along with fame, he’s indulged in a series of passions, including motorbike-racing, flying, and riding BMX bikes.