I went to a comedy festival in Kilkenny, Ireland a week or so ago.
I think the official name was Smithwick's Cat Laughs Comedy Festival.
Smithwick's is a beer.
I don't drink beer anymore.
Turns out that I'm not very good at it.
That's why I only went to one of the after parties. Also I am horrible at small talk.
Here's a typical exchange between me and another comic at that after party.
"How was your show tonight?"
Good.
"How was yours?"
Good.
"How come you're not drinking?"
I don't know.
"Don't you want to?"
Sometimes.
(uncomfortable silence)
Anyway, it was a lot of fun.
Dom Irrera was there.
I went to two of his shows because he is so fucking funny.
I was going to ask him to take a photo with me but I didn't want him to think I was a dick.
So I didn't.
I wish I had.
The guy in the uppermost pic is Ed Byrne.
He's from Ireland and is an amazing stand up.
He had the best show I saw all week.
Incredibly strong.
Right up there with Dave Attell and Louis CK.
Ed said we met once before in Los Angeles and that we even went out and had drinks.
I pretended to remember that evening even though I don't.
He said I was with a girl the night we hung out.
How could I not remember that?
A lot of the Irish comedians were funny.
Andrew Maxwell, Karl Spain, Ed Byrne.
That's twice I've mentioned him.
Steve Hughes and Carl Barron were good too.
They are from Australia.
You know who was amazing?
Stewart Francis.
You can find out for yourself at his website.
That bastard is from Canada, but he lives in Spain.
His wife is Scottish.
Stewart told me he loves his wife.
He didn't seem to be kidding.
That made me uncomfortable.
Anyway, he's the tallest one in the second picture.
The guy in the glasses in that same photo is one of my favorite comics, fellow American Jeff Caldwell.
Why don't more people know about him?
The other guy is Mike Birbiglia, a fine comic as well.
Ireland was overcast.
The food was not very tasty and it was hard to find coffee after six p.m.
Many of the locals drank a lot.
Who knew?
The people who ran the festival were incredibly nice.
Unbelievably nice.
So nice that a couple times, when I saw them coming I walked the other way.
That is true.
Those people really love stand up.
It is so great when you meet people who are really into stand up.
I am.
I should have asked Dom to take a picture.
