201. Karl MacDermott: Comedy Writer & Performer

A wide-ranging conversation exploring the emergence of Irish comedy from the 1970s onwards, touching on influences from Monty Python, The Young Ones, Laurel & Hardy, and WC Fields, and the cultural barriers facing comedians in Ireland at the time. The discussion traces the founding of the Comedy Cellar above The International Bar, the rise of figures such as Dylan Moran, Dara Ó Briain, Jason Byrne and Tommy Tiernan, and reflections on writing for television and the BBC. Along the way, the conversation moves through literature, music, politics, cultural identity, creativity, failure, optimism, and contemporary themes including AI and climate change.