Now that summer is officially upon us we can start expecting some good weather (or hope for it at least). If there's two things Irish people enjoy most it's the good weather and having a bit of craic.
If you're short on ideas on how to have some fun in the sun then why not start with this nifty little 'Craic Itinerary' that we've prepared for you. We've curated a list of the best comedy events the country has to offer during the summer months.
Cat Laughs Festival - 2nd - 6th June
First up is of course the Kilkenny Cat Laughs Festival. Ireland's longest running comedy festival, the Cat Laughs is celebrating its 21st birthday this year and 30,000 people are expected to be on hand to see a great lineup that mixes both Irish and international talent.
The likes of Bernard O'Shea, Jason Manford, Reginald D. Hunter, Deirdre O'Kane and Foil, Arms & Hog will all be performing at this year's event.
You can check out the full lineup here.
Maltesers Craic Up gig in Opium - June 10th
As part of their 'Craic Up with Maltesers' campaign, they're organising an exclusive comedy night on June 10th in Opium. The night will be hosted by Fred Cooke and will feature a lineup of top Irish comedy talent that includes John Collery, Simon O'Keeffe and Jim Elliot.
For your chance to be there on the night head to their Facebook or Twitter pages to find out how.
Vodafone Comedy Festival - 28th - 31st July
Dublin's premiere stand up event, The Vodafone Comedy Festival is on July 28th - 31st in the Iveagh Gardens.
Much like Cat Laughs, the Vodafone Comedy Festival likes to offer a nice blend of Irish and International comedy talent. The lineup for this year's festival has yet to be announced, but previous years have seen the likes of Irish comedy giants Dara O'Briain, and Ed Byrne perform alongside huge international stars like the Daily Show host Trevor Noah and Rhys Darby of Flight of the Conchords fame.
Body and Soul - 17th - 19th June
Now in its second year, the Vodafone Comedy Tent is quickly establishing itself as one of the premiere attractions for Body and Soul. This year's lineup for the Ballinlough Castle festival features the likes of Abandoman, Al Porter, Eleanor Tiernan, Joanne McNally and Colm O'Regan.
Electric Picnic - 2nd - 4th September
With everything that the Electric Picnic Music and Arts Festival has to offer it's very easy to miss out on some of their best attractions. One thing that you really can't afford to miss is the Comedy Stage.
The lineup for this year's Comedy Stage has yet to be announced. Last year saw David O'Doherty, Adam Hills, Des Bishop, The Rubberbandits and Terry Alderton all take to the stage but the likes of Dylan Moran, Kevin Gildea and Andrew Maxwell have all performed there in the past.
