Comedian's 32-County Comedy Quest: A Year of Gigs

For 304 days, Cathaóir O'Hagan, a 31-year-old civil servant from Antrim, pursued an extraordinary comedy goal: performing stand-up in all 32 counties of Ireland within a single year. This ambitious undertaking involved an 11,402-mile road trip across the country. O'Hagan juggled his day job and the demands of building a home while coordinating gigs, often performing at music nights and open-mics.

Securing spots in counties like Offaly and Longford proved challenging, requiring O'Hagan to request five-minute slots among various performers. He found Monaghan and Roscommon to have particularly receptive audiences. While performing in Dublin, O'Hagan humorously recalled competing with an Elvis impersonator at a birthday party, a memorable anecdote from his journey.

His extensive travels, including a six-and-a-half-hour round trip to Kerry in one day, allowed him to discover a vibrant open-mic scene in rural Ireland, encompassing music, poetry, and comedy. This experience revealed a thriving arts community in unexpected places. O'Hagan is set to compete in the Ha!Ha! Hawk's Well competition final in Sligo on February 14, 2026.