Flying glass and topless hecklers are part of the job for comedian Danny O’Brien

Doing his first stand-up gigs in tough Dublin pubs was an ideal way for Danny O’Brien to learn his trade, writes Richard Fitzpatrick

DANNY O’Brien was doing some stand-up at a pub on North King St on Dublin’s northside. It was his third gig as a professional comic. He was three minutes into his seven-minute set when a row broke out.

“I was exceptionally green to comedy,” he says. “A couple had an argument in front of me. The guy stormed off. The girl took chase. She got her glass and threw it at him. It smashed off the back of his head. It was like a Western. I panicked. I didn’t know what to do so I just kept telling my jokes.”