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Kevin McAleer

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Kevin McAleer
Born1956 (age 67–68)
Omagh, Tyrone, Northern Ireland
NationalityIrish[1]
Years active1980s – present
Notable works and rolesNighthawks
Derry Girls[2]

Kevin McAleer (born 1956) is an Irish[1] stand-up comedian. He came to prominence on the RTÉ television show Nighthawks which began broadcasting in the late 1980s. McAleer became known for his three-minute sketches[3] of surreal rustic tales told in his slow County Tyrone drawl. One critic said that McAleer "put the dead back into deadpan".[4] In 2022 he toured his one-man show entitled Why am I Here and played the part of boring Uncle Colm in Derry Girls on Channel 4.[5] In 2024 he announced his retirement from stand-up comedy, with final shows in Dublin and Belfast.

Personal life and writing

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McAleer lives in Omagh, County Tyrone; he believes his comic talents blossomed in the classroom and he lived in Barcelona, Spain, for a period.[6]

In July 2009, McAleer stated that he has completed a first draft of a book about John F. Kennedy.[7] The book remains unfinished.[8] He writes in his office which is located in Omagh and cites Flann O'Brien, James Joyce, Don DeLillo, Umberto Eco and Nikolai Gogol as influences.[9]

McAleer writes occasional comic pieces for the Irish Times, responding to current events such as Brexit.[10]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Kevin McAleer: Here's my ID". The Irish Times.
  2. ^ Doran, Sarah (11 January 2018). "Raiders, radiators and a row over chips dominate a darkly funny Derry Girls episode 2". Radio Times.
  3. ^ "Comedian Kevin McAleer". RTÉ.ie.
  4. ^ "THE QUIET MAN". The Irish Times. 11 October 2008. Archived from the original on 8 October 2012. Retrieved 1 February 2009.
  5. ^ Demolder, Kate (11 January 2018). "Everybody loved Uncle Colm on this week's Derry Girls". Joe. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  6. ^ "Kevin McAleer @ the High Tide Club, Castletownbere, Sat Nov 26th 8pm | westcorktimes.com". Archived from the original on 13 November 2016. Retrieved 13 November 2016.
  7. ^ "It's the battle of the books: Irish celebs writing on JFK". Irish Independent. 4 July 2009. Retrieved 6 November 2024.
  8. ^ "Kevin McAleer on his obsession with JFK's murder 52 years ago today". The Irish Times. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
  9. ^ "Kevin McAleer". Irish Independent. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  10. ^ McAleer, Kevin (28 June 2016). "Happy Brexmas from Kevin McAleer". The Irish Times.
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