It’s the story of a lovely lady, (Comedy Cellar promoter Fiona Byrne) and her very lovely girls, the cream of Ireland’s new female comedy talent, brought together to the International Comedy Cellar for a one-night-only comedy first. The Grand Dame of Female alt-comedy Deirdre O’Kane will headline, ably supported by Sheila M, Priscilla Robinson, Anne Lillis and Catherine Maher. Unfortunately, Amelia Crowley, a Cellar regular, can’t attend due to a prior commitment. How did Fiona come up with the idea?

“At the Cellar we’ve noticed an increase in the amount of women who are applying for open-mic slots, ‘cos up until quite recently it was mainly guys, and we just decided a Funny Girls night might encourage more women to give it a go,” she explains. “It’s also important to point out that all the acts on the bill tonight have played here before, bar one, and they’re bloody good. It’s not merely a tokenistic event, it’s more about quality performance.”

Clare comedian Sheila M (the M stands for mucksavage, apparently) is first onstage and assures us that she really does talk like this. Her accent is as thick as treacle as she presents a lewd and bawdy routine that incorporates songs and a wicked Cher impression (“Cher doesn’t believe in cellulite”). After the show Sheila explained that a background in drama led her down the stand-up corridor. Subtle this gal ain’t, and her material might be a bit mainstream for some tastes, but she’s got something. Watch this space.

Priscilla Robinson is a comic who trades on a quirky nervous energy and talks of dates, drug therapy and dental floss. (“There has to be lots of saliva, lots of blood and lots of pain. Then you know you’re doing it properly”.) Priscilla’s blend of slight neuroses and razor sharp observation promises great things from this young comedian.

Anne Lillis is already a Hoot Press favourite and tonight she didn’t disappoint. She offers a wry take on sex and the Irish girl, describing seduction techniques (“Stagger as far as the bed and pass out”) and comparing the bedroom skills of Irish men with our foreign counterparts. Irish guys are “the meat and two veg” of lovemaking, apparently. Her related experiences with the altogether more worldly Lithuanian, Nickolai, had the audience in stitches.

Catherine Maher is the baby of the bunch tonight, taking the open mic slot after the interval. Palpably nervous, she spreads her notes over the stage, faces the crowd and delivers ten minutes of stinging observation mixed with one-liners that has the audience on her side almost immediately. According to Ms Maher, men all dress alike at weddings since if the groom doesn’t show everybody can move up one space and carry on. Other targets for her quickfire wit include dress shops, medicinal uses for yoghurt and, inevitably, boyfriends. A copywriter and comedy writer by trade, her first ever live appearance evidences a real, natural talent. Take it from us, you’ll be hearing from her…

Deirdre O’Kane laughs later when I refer to her as the Grand Dame of Irish comedy.

“I don’t care what they call me so long as they come to the bloody gigs!” she avers.

Tonight she’s on top form, testing lots of new material and taking swipes at Little House On The Prairie, Queuing (“Now I don’t do queues…”) and a hysterical treatise on women’s sexual fantasies. (I’m always dying, but I look fucking fantastic… And I have a boyfriend so I can’t be acting out of free will. I have to like myself in the film, uh, fantasy”.)

After a blistering forty-minute set Deirdre grants me a brief audience. Since many male comedians say you can laugh a woman into bed, I offer, is the same true for women?

“The guys always say that don’t they? And then you look at them and it’s Ed Byrne or Tommy or Dylan and they’re all fucking gorgeous. None of these guys need to laugh anyone into bed let me tell ya. I think that perhaps some men are intimidated by loud, confident women. They prefer the shy, coy type, and stand-up doesn’t attract a lot of shy people. So, no, to answer your question it’s not the same for women. We usually laugh when you lot get out of bed.”

What does Deirdre think of the standard of women’s comedy judging by tonight’s acts?

“I hadn’t seen a single act before, and I was really impressed, especially since everybody was quite different but I think you’d have to be wary of suggesting that just because we’re all women there’s a commonality of approach. It’s not women’s comedy, it’s comedy done by women, there’s a subtle difference. If you consider tonight’s material, the subjects are the same as those considered by the guys, but you get a female perspective. I welcome it because when I started it was pretty much a male preserve. Now we’re seeing a lot more women promoting comedy, performing comedy and coming to comedy shows. Ultimately it’s about the quality of the acts, male or female, but on tonight’s showing the boy’s have nothing that we don’t have. Apart from those, I mean.”