Making fun of it all

Dara Ó Briain’s Irish wit is loved in England where he is a big hit as a TV host, but stand-up is his first love, writes Carl Dixon

IT IS a measure of the high profile of stand-up comedy that Dara Ó Briain will be one of the highlights at this summer’s Live at the Marquee concerts in Cork. It is a measure of Ó Briain’s popularity that, despite his recent sellout run at the Opera House, he is likely to again sell out his gigs on Jun 28 and 29.

Ireland has produced many successful comedians, but Ó’Briain has trumped them all by moving into mainstream television in the UK, where his fast-paced patter and quick wit are a hit. He hosts, or has hosted, Mock the Week, The Apprentice: You’re Fired!, and Stargazing Live, and has travelled Britain and Ireland in the popular BBC series Three Men in a Boat with Rory McGrath and Griff Rhys Jones. In Ireland, he kept the mayhem in check as the host of The Panel.