Cork actor uses his own tour guide experience for Meltdown show

A familiar face from Killnaskully, the lack of secure income as an actor ensured Jack Walsh had to turn to working as a tour guide to make ends meet

Mon, 22 Jul, 2024 - 21:30

Colette Sheridan

Cork-born Jack Walsh (Jimmy in Killnaskully) knows all about the ups and downs of the life of an actor. Because of the inevitability of ‘resting’ periods, the 68-year-old decided to become a part-time tour guide, selling brand Ireland “with enchanting tales of ceol and craic” by day while by night, he was hunkering down in his damp Capel Street flat in Dublin, threatened with eviction because of rising rent.

But never one to miss an opportunity, Walsh has parlayed his story into a one man show, Welcome to Ireland – Meltdown of an Irish Tour Guide, which he will perform at the Cork Arts Theatre on August 7-10.