Nice to see Father Ted’s Graham Linehan back in Dublin recently, taking a break from writing his latest project, a comedy feature film set in ‘20s Paris. Maybe he’ll add an Oscar to his mantlepiece though he’ll probably have to shift a BAFTA.

Big up to Galway’s Kevin McGuire who responded to my recent plea for information on comedy happenings outside of Dublin. Kevin forwarded a natty little newsletter containing pots of news, and singing the praises of Galway’s vibrant comedy scene and then topped it by performing a banging stand-up routine in Dublin recently. The kid has class.

Holy smoke! It appears that the Smuggler’s Tour scheduled for Vicar St on February 18th and featuring Howard Marks and Robert Sabbag has been canceled. This is the second time Mr. Marks has been prevented from appearing at the venue due to protests by outside agencies. Censorship by any other name? Next we’ll see the pioneers protesting against Eamonn Morrissey’s one-man-show The Brother. I’m protesting about the fact that I wasn’t invited to the Comedy Cellar’s Christmas Party at The International Bar recently, despite the chivalrous efforts of Michael Downey to blag me in. My Wednesday evenings will now be spent down at the Ha’penny Inn’s Comedy Rooms, in the company of those genial and talented Messrs. Rooney and Naessens. Until I stop sulking, anyway.

Tommy Tiernan is keeping schtum about his recent visit to the USA where he ‘had talks’ with TV entertainment giant NBC. Word on the street, or rather boulevard, is that Tierno is to star in his own sit-com, titled Teekyville. The prospect of Friends-like success hasn’t changed the lad though, and he’s still making occasional appearances at Galway’s Cellar bar airing new routines. Still a country boy at heart, when contacted by Laughlines he suggested that perhaps our people could call his people and we could do sushi if we could find a compatible window in our schedules. Or maybe I made that up.

Blizzard of Odd mainman Colin Murphy visits Galway’s Cuba on February 17th and proves he’s as polished a live performer as he is a TV presenter. Mind you, am I alone in thinking that a faint taint of homophobia occasionally rears it’s ugly head on Colin’s show? Perhaps I’m being too sensitive, big girls blouse that I am. Anyway, I’ll be chatting him up when he plays Dublin’s Shelter at Vicar St., on February 15th, when I shall sit at the front and drink Campari and soda. While wearing a dress.

Sean Montcrief was recently heard speaking eloquently on RTE Radio 1 about the Irish print media’s treatment of the Montrose mafia. It’s a shame that he’s no longer a regular presence on our screens though he always seems to be holding himself in check. Is it the fault of RTE’s bosses that people of obvious intelligence and talent never seem to be allowed to take genuine risks in the pursuit of good television? Or is it a case of producers and presenters who appreciate a steady earner being unwilling to rock the boat?

Someone who undoubtedly rocked the boat on RTE’s Popstars was the rather lovely Nadine Coyle who revealed under torture, uh, questioning that she is a mere slip of a girl at 16. Well, I thought it was funny. This has led to numerous TV appearances and column inches and surely a solo deal can’t be far away. Of course if she continues to perform ‘Fields Of Gold’ every time she opens her mouth she’s in grave danger of turning into a sort of sexier version of Charlotte Church. If indeed such a thing were imaginable... Another RTE coquette coming soon is Jason Byrne who plays The Shelter, Vicar St., on February 1st and 2nd. He’ll be joined by his Jason Byrne Show partners-in-crime John Henderson and PJ Gallagher for a madcap night of improvised mayhem. We have been asked by our lawyers to stress that none of the trio have ever been actually convicted of a crime. And they are partners in the business sense only. Scotsman Phil Kay visits Vicar St. on March 2nd, expect a Mad Hatter slot from Philo in a forthcoming issue.