Tommy Tiernan – Keynote Speaker

Within just two years of starting a stand up career, and with his debut solo Edinburgh festival show, Tommy Tiernan was awarded the prestigious 1998 Perrier award at the Edinburgh Festival, for his outstanding contribution to comedy, along with the 1998/99 British comedy award for ‘Best Stand Up’.

An acclaimed comedian and actor, Tommy’s enchanting combination of hilarious recollections of growing up in rural Ireland, with acutely observed (poignant) material about relationships – and the world at large, ensures that his act is a journey of offbeat twists, hysterical stories and brilliant one-liners. His sheer originality and overwhelming talent guarantees that there is no other performer like him.

His outstanding live appearances have brought forth, major industry attention, with interest from both feature film and television markets. His strong, energetic performances have guaranteed him a headline name in the UK, major league status in his native Ireland; headline shows throughout Europe – and a sell-out tour of Australia and New-Zealand. A prolific writer, his turnover of quality material is nothing short of out standing.

Tommy Tiernan is second only to U2 when it comes to live ticket sales in Ireland. The Bovinity Tour culminated in 3 sold out shows to a total audience of 12,000 in the Marquee Cork. No other artist, Irish or International has ever managed to do this. It’s an astounding amount of tickets to sell for 3 days in one city. With his Loose tour he broke all Irish box office records by selling out in venues across the country including a staggering 166 dates in Dublin’s one thousand seat theatre, Vicar Street.

Not only has Tommy Tiernan success at home in Ireland and the UK but also in Canada and America. The Gala performance in the Just for Laughs Tour in Montreal in 2005, saw 2000 Canadians on their feet crying out for more. In 2006 he headlined the first ever Irish gala at the Just for Laughs Montreal Comedy Festival and he has joined the Just for Laughs National Tours in 2007 and in 2009.

In April 2009 Tommy set the Guinness World Record for the longest Stand-Up Comedy Show by an individual by a staggering 36 hours and 15 minutes.