New Carlow comedy club opens this Friday
Comedian Sophia Wren
CARLOW is set to welcome its first dedicated comedy club on Friday when Carlow Comedy Club makes its debut at The Barracks on Tullow Street. The monthly comedy nights promise to bring top-quality, stand-up comedy to the town while building a vibrant community around the art form.
The new venture is the brainchild of Cian McGarrigle, a comedy writer and comedian who has been successfully running monthly comedy shows in Kilkenny for three years. When The Barracks approached him about establishing something similar in Carlow, Cian jumped at the opportunity to expand his proven formula.
“This is something that we’ve been doing in Kilkenny for three years. I’ve been running the monthly comedy club there and it’s been going massively well,” he explained. “Based on that, we teamed up with The Barracks bar in Carlow; they wanted to get something going, so they came looking for somebody who knows how to do it, so to speak.”
Cian emphasises that the comedy club aims to be more than just entertainment – it’s about creating connections within the community. “It becomes a social thing: you see the same people all the time. It’s not just a comedy show; it’s about building up a little community around comedy and that’s what we’d love to do in Carlow as well.”
The organiser is particularly excited about offering residents an alternative evening activity. “We really hope it’ll take off because comedy is such a great art form. It also gives some people something to do that is not just going for a pint.”
The inaugural show features three rising stars of the Irish comedy scene, each bringing their unique style to the stage. Headlining the night is Aidan Greene, a Cavan-born comedian who has been performing since 2010. Aidan, who champions representation as Ireland’s leading stammering comedian, has an impressive resumé, including headlining major festivals such as Vodafone Comedy Festival and Longitude, plus multiple sold-out Edinburgh Fringe runs.
“He’s a fantastic comedian and is just a joy to watch,” Cian enthused.
Also performing is Sophia Wren, a 33-year-old comedian from Kildare who has been making waves on the circuit. Her dark humour and personal storytelling style recently earned her finalist status in and victory in SMTF 2024. Her solo show sold out its Dublin Fringe run and is heading to Edinburgh Fringe.
McGarrigle describes Wren as “one of my favourite new comedians in the past few years.”
Completing the line-up is Dublin-based Rob Nother, whose blend of observational humour and storytelling has made him a regular fixture at top Dublin comedy venues. His previous performance in Kilkenny clearly left an impression on the promoter.
“He played for us in Kilkenny and just killed it so hard on stage that I was sorry I hadn’t booked him for twice as long,” McGarrigle recalled. “I think he just has that little touch of magic.”
The comedy club organiser, who will be compere on the night, is confident that audiences will connect with the carefully selected performers. “These guys are all destined for big things. You might not have heard of these comedians, but trust me, you’re going to like them.”
Tickets for the inaugural Carlow Comedy Club show are available at carlowcomedy.com.
