Forty shades of Tommy Tiernan makes for fun at the Marquee

Strolling down the sun dappled road in the suburbs of Cork, the crowd are in fine form.

There’s a whiff of factor 15 and a frisson of fun in the air. Good-natured banter and the thrill of the anticipation of a good night out.

“I’ve been looking forward to this for weeks,” says one middle-aged madam in a glorious multi-coloured dress to her three friends as they link arms and adjust bra straps.