Referred to frequently as one of the godfathers of Irish comedy, Ardal O’Hanlon will finally come out of hiding for his first New York City comedy appearance in over ten years this September. His exclusive three-night engagement at the New York Irish Center (1040 Jackson Avenue in Long Island City), plays Thursday & Friday September 29 & 30, and Saturday October 1, all at 8pm. Tickets, which are $40 (with premium seats at $75), will go on sale on Tuesday July 26 at 10am, and will be available at www.newyorkirishcenter.org. The shows conclude a 10-city US tour starting in Kansas City on September 2.
O’Hanlon is a beloved character on the Irish show Father Ted, and also recognizable to US public television audiences for his recurring role on the detective series Death in Paradise. He’s made guest appearances on the international hit television series Derry Girls, including the series finale, which aired in Ireland and the UK in May. In comedy, O’Hanlon is celebrated for his deeply cathartic observational comedy style, that often has him vaulting open-heartedly into the unknown (or at least the less well-known!).
Since breaking into the Irish comedy scene at The Cellar in Dublin in 1990, and then taking London by storm starting in 1994 (where he picked up two prestigious newcomer awards), O’Hanlon quickly became a household name for his role as Father Dougal in the hit series Father Ted. In addition to the Top Television Newcomer nod from the British Comedy Awards, O’Hanlon has picked up numerous BAFTA and British Comedy Award nominations for this role.
The first Irish comedian to be invited to do a half-hour special on Comedy Central, O’Hanlon has also earned praise for his novels, the first of which, “The Talk of the Town” was published in 1998. His second novel, “Broohaha,” just came out out in Ireland this spring. His international comedy festival appearances include Just for Laughs in Montreal (two), Melbourne Festival (two) and the Edinburgh Festival (seven times). He was also the host of the Stand-Up Show on the BBC for two seasons.
This will be O’Hanlon’s New York Irish Center (NYIC) debut.