What can audiences expect with your Yer Man show that you are bringing to Bangor’s Open House Festival?
A little over an hour of the greatest stand-up comedy ever performed. A show so funny you’ll feel like you just did an abdominal workout. I hope I’m not overselling this thing.
How do you sum up your style of comedy?
It’s classical observational comedy in the vein of Dave Allen, Seinfeld, McIntyre or Billy Connolly. It’s not weird or alternative in any way. It’s not aggressive or unnecessarily harsh. It’s about making you forget about how hard life is through laughter.
You are touring in America later in the year. How differently is an Irish male comedian treated when they go over the pond to perform?
I’ve yet to have pants thrown at me in any other setting than my own home. And in that instance they are thrown while the thrower shouts the words, “Get these in the wash, for God sake.” I’ll be doing a tour of America in the autumn. Pretty sure we are viewed as rock stars over there.
Do you still keep a close focus on US politics? What’s your hopes for the next election?
I make a podcast about America every two weeks with US correspondent Marion McKeone. So I have to keep a very close eye on it or I sound dumb on the show. My hope is that America steadies itself and goes down a better path. Not sure if this election is going to do that but we will see.
Were you always a joker and how did you go from graphic designer to comedian?
I have loved jokes since I could talk. My earliest memory is doing impressions of famous people for my relations. I was about four years old and they fell out of their chairs laughing. It was a rush I am still chasing to this day. Graphic design was a very short window in my life but it gets brought up a lot because it was the last ‘real’ job I ever had. I still design stuff like my posters, Christmas cards and online content - this stuff is way more fun than the boring stuff the office life gave me. Thanks be to God.
Jokes are like ambitions, you have to be careful to whom you show them or they can crush them so easily
— Jarlath Regan
What’s your most memorable comedic moment of your career so far?
The very first day you put comedian on your tax return is a big one. That’s when the government knows you think you’re funny. That’s when there’s no going back. Until then you just think you’re a comedian.
Do you prefer to be live on stage or in front of a mic in a recording studio?
On stage is the tightrope walk. Actually it’s more like surfing. You spend a lot of time at the desk writing or on the mic recording, that’s the paddling. You can’t have one without the other. I love the paddling but it’s all a means to get to ride big waves. Wiping out or dying on your arse is the risk which in its own funny way is good craic too.
How does an idea normally convert into a joke for you?
Slowly in some cases and then right away in others. Some jokes land into your lap from heaven. Others need to be swashing around your brain for years. There’s one joke in the current show that I’ve been working on since 2013. That’s 11 years trying to get one joke to work just right.
Do you practice your material on friends and family, or in front of a mirror, before performing live?
Never. Jokes are like ambitions, you have to be careful to whom you show them or they can crush them so easily.
Who has most surprised you as a guest on your podcast and who is still on your wish-list?
Steve Coogan was a joy. I was chasing him to do the podcast for 10 years. Honestly, each one has their own surprises if you ask the right questions. Roy Keane and Jamie Dornan would be great. Rachel Blackmore, Rhasidat Adeleke would be amazing too.
Tell us about Irishman Running Abroad with former Irish track and field World Champion Sonia O’Sullivan. Why did you start running, where have you run to, and where’s next?
Like most people I started during lockdown. When in a conversation with Sonia, I asked if she could teach me to do it right. She laughed and said it could be done. I didn’t believe her. I don’t think she believed herself, but she got me moving. She taught me everything from drills to workouts. In the space of four years I have run three marathons and broken 20 mins for 5km. It’s bananas. The podcast follows the journey and it continues to this day. Right now, I’m trying to break 19mins for 5km with the help of Sonia and another coach, Vinny Mulvey.
Are you in Ireland to stay now or is there anywhere else you would like to relocate to?
I’m a rolling stone - I love travelling. That said my roots are so deep here that this will always be where I come back to. My son is in secondary school now and I don’t want to mess that up. He needs dad to be here when he gets home from school each day. We run the comedy tour around his holidays. It’s working pretty well - I think.
Why did the chicken cross the road?
Because he had a show at the Open House Festival on August 16.
