HANNAHSTOWN comedian Paddy McDonnell has been working the local circuit for more than a decade.
 
Since taking part in a podcast with Shane Todd during lockdown, his career has hit new highs, having recently had a gig bumped for American comedian and actor Kevin Hart.
 
Paddy has also recently sold out the Waterfront Hall and having to add a new date to keep up with demand. He is also about to embark on a tour around Ireland.

Paddy sat down with the Andersonstown News to discuss how, following an assault, his comedy helped him out of depression.
 
“I was a builder by trade and leading up to my wedding I took a job on the door at a local bar to get a few extra quid.
 
“On our honeymoon I got chatting to a fella who told us how his son was a doorman and had been killed working on the door. He told me if I don’t need to do it, not to.
 
“We came back and I gave my notice in. The fella that I was working for asked me to give him a couple of weeks to get somebody else and that led right into July.
 
“At the end of July I got my finger bit off when working on the door. That led me to go into a mad depression and I lost my building company. I couldn’t use my hand and it took about four years to get it into court.”

Paddy said that his wife, Andrea was struggling to find something for him to do. She asked around and everyone talked about how he was always the life and soul of any party and that he loved comedy.
 
“She looked up comedy nights in Belfast and saw that there was one in the Pavilion Bar on the Ormeau Road. She contacted the guy who was running it, Graham Watson, and he said to bring me over on the Monday night.
 
“By chance, that coincided with the first day of the court case. We were sitting in the court and she told me she was taking me to the comedy night to take my mind off it.
 
“We went over and they called me up on stage. I did seven minutes and when I came off the guy asked if I had done it before. I told him I hadn’t and he said I needed to do it again because it was very natural.
 
“It was like euphoria. The feeling I got on that stage was unreal. I went into comedy full on and I was driving around Ireland performing for free.”
 
Nine months later, Féile an Phobail were looking a comedian and Paddy linked them in with Des Bishop on the condition that he also got a slot on the line-up.

“It took off from there and I was doing it for about nine or 10 years when Covid hit. I thought that was it done because live gigs weren’t happening,” he reflected.
 
“During Covid I did a few podcasts with Shane Todd and they went through the roof. Prior to that I was known as a headliner but people were coming to a comedy night not specifically to see me.
 
“After the podcast, people were messaging me saying that they couldn’t wait to see me live. We put one show on and it sold within half an hour, we sold out a second show in 20 minutes and our third show sold within 10 minutes.
 
“The promoter said we needed to move to a bigger venue so we put in an Ulster Hall date which sold out too.
 
“People think I am an overnight success but I have been doing this 11 years.”

Recently, Paddy was due to play at the Limelight but his slot was dropped to allow American comedian, Kevin Hart to take his place.
 
“The way I described it was like playing five-a-side in the Whiterock Leisure Centre and someone going Paddy look Ronaldo is out there and wants your spot.
 
“You’re not going to say no because you don’t want to deprive everyone of seeing him. It was great because not only did I get to see him live, but it also highlights how big the comedy scene has gotten here.
 
“There are about 15 comedians here and we are all doing well. The fact that Kevin keeps adding more nights proves that he likes the scene here and he loves the crowd.”

On a recent trip to Scotland, Paddy was overwhelmed when he tweeted about a bad burger that he had got in Edinburgh Airport which subsequently made the Scottish headline news, something he believes to be due to the Kevin Hart gig.  
 
No matter where Paddy’s comedy takes him, he dreams of playing a massive gig in the yet to be redeveloped Casement Park.
 
“I had the Waterfont booked when Kevin Bridges announced a gig on the same night. I didn’t think we would sell tickets and it sold out. I always said that if I headlined the Féile that would be big enough.
 
“I have done two nights at it and it was the peak but if Casement Park was to be opened I would love to be at the stage where I would be able to sell enough tickets and have a massive gig in the middle of Andytown.
 
“I have already performed to seven-and-a-half thousand people at the Falls Park and playing in my own back yard to a massive crowd like that would be amazing.”