BELLY LAUGHS IN BALLYCOTTON AS COMEDY FESTIVAL RETURNS

Dave McSavage and Emma Doran among the line-up of top class comedians 

Sea Church will be a place of fun and laughter later this month as the annual Ballycotton Comedy Festival returns to the picturesque seaside village in East Cork. 

Back by popular demand, the bill this year sees the festival kicking off on September 29th at The Blackbird, with MC Ross Browne keeping crowds entertained and introducing a night of top-class entertainment with both new and established comedians.  Up-and-coming Kyla Cobbler is first on stage with a fresh and relatable humour. She’ll be followed by master of observational comedy Paul Crowley, ahead of headliner Emma Doran whose ability to satirise many aspects of Irish life has made her one of the country’s best loved comedians. 

The Friday night entertainment doesn’t stop there; iconic Irish comedian, writer and actor Dave McSavage will take to the stage at Sea Church from 10.30pm. His edgy and often taboo humour never fails to disappoint. McSavage’s live performances have become renowned, with a riotous mix of stand-up, sketches, and improvisation. 

Saturday evening kicks off in The Blackbird with The Coco Comedy club. Hosted by Dan Lukas who has been taking the Irish and UK scene by storm, the evening will see a number of up-and-coming acts, with Coco Comedian of the Year, Mike Hogan headlining.

Next up on Saturday is The Alter Ego Comedy Club at Sea Church. Between 7.30pm and 8.30pm host Sinead Quinlan will introduce Dan Lukas, followed by the ever popular Ciara Barnes and Eleanor Tiernan, both known for their sharp wit and brilliant delivery. 

The Main Show then takes place at Sea Church on Saturday and sees Ross Browne back again in his inimitable role as MC from 9.30pm. Kicking off the night will be Ashlee Bentley, whose infectious energy and clever humor is bound to impress crowds. Ashlee’s set will be followed by the duo of Shane Clifford and Kyla Cobbler, who have been making waves with their sketches and comedic timing. 

The Ballycotton Comedy Festival comes to a close on Sunday October 1st with a gala event at Sea Church. The critically acclaimed Chris Kent will be in the hot seat as host, and first up on stage will be Conn O’Sullivan, whose clever poetry and relatable anecdotes are  bound to have audiences entertained.  The night will continue with rising star Willa White, whose fresh perspective has been making a lasting impression. Willa will be followed by the witty and charismatic Vittorio Angellino, before master of storytelling Bernard Casey will deliver a finale that is bound to top off a great weekend. 

Commenting on the upcoming Ballycotton Festival, General Manager of Sea Church John Kidney said: “We’re really excited about the return of this brilliant festival to Sea Church. It’s great to see so many up-and-coming comedians, along with household names, entertaining crowds at Ballycotton year-on-year. We’d like to pay special tribute to Cork County Council for its support of the event, as well as to Festival sponsors Murphy’s, and to The Blackbird for co-hosting the festival with us. The expression ‘it takes a village’ really resonates when you see the bringing together of a great festival like this, all in the name of fun and laughter. ”

If you get a taste for comedy gigs after the Ballycotton Comedy Festival, ‘Reggie for President’ comes to Sea Church on October 13th. Pat Fitzpatrick is Reggie from the Blackrock Road –  ‘The richest man in Cork by a huge margin.’ Reggie, who wants to go all the way to Áras an Úachtaráin, has been playing to sell out audiences and is bound to be a popular choice at Sea Church. 

The Ballycotton Comedy Festival runs from Friday September 29th to Sunday October 1st. For tickets for this and all events see www.seachurch.ie