Leading comics find plenty to smile about

The ongoing boom in Irish comedy has two of our most popular comedians laughing all the way to the bank.

This follows accounts filed by Jason Byrne and Neil Delamere showing that laughter continues to be the best medicine during the bust.

Both will be performing at the Vodafone Comedy Festival in Dublin this weekend and new figures lodged with the Companies Office show that Byrne’s Jason Byrne Entertainment Ltd last year recorded a €109,180 increase in profits, going from €315,970 to €425,150.

The accounts show that the cash pile at the Dubliner’s firm increased from €200,000 to €203,126 in the 12 months to the end of December last.

In 2012, the accumulated profits increased marginally at the firm from €312,069 to €315,970 and the rapid rise in profits last year coincided with the BBC screening a sitcom, Father Figure that Byrne penned and starred in.

Following on from his appearance at the Vodafone Comedy Festival in Dublin this weekend, Byrne, 42, will be able to add to his coffers with a busy touring schedule in Australia and the UK between September and the start of December.

One of the other mainstays of the comedy circuit here is 35-year-old Co Offaly native, Neil Delamere best known for his appearances on RTÉ’s The Panel and BBC’s Blame Game.

Filings lodged by his firm, Neil Delamere Productions Ltd, show that accumulated profits increased almost threefold, going from €89,769 to €234,383 in 2012.

Delamere’s latest project is a show about four Irish heroes and he will be recording a show at Vicar Street on August 2 that will feature in a new documentary series to be broadcast on RTÉ 2 later this year.