Search results for ""Author Myles Byrne""

‘An Irishman will always soften bad news, so that a major coronary is no more than "a bad turn" and a near hurricane that leaves thousands homeless is "good drying weather"’ – Hugh LeonardThe people of Ireland are renowned for their wit, and they have migrated from Ireland to most corners of the world, taking that famous sense of humour with them. Modern comedians and comic writers as varied as Dylan Moran, Sharon Horgan, Tommy Tiernan, Alison Spittle, Graham Linehan and Ed Byrne have their own distinctive ways of celebrating and mocking their origins while still occasionally acknowledging the traditional ‘paddywackery’ (meaning the rain-soaked, Guinness-sodden Oirish stereotype of old). The roots of Irish humour are much more complex: for centuries classic Irish writers have used black humour and sarcasm, ranging from the satires of Jonathan Swift, George Bernard Shaw and Oscar Wilde through to the hilarity of J.P. Donleavy and the sublime nonsense of Flann O’Brien and Spike Milligan (‘Many people die of thirst but the Irish are born with one.’) This collection combines a pinch of traditional Irish humour, from shamrocks to limericks, and blarney stones to drinking stories, mixed with distinctly modern one-liners, quips and quotes from the best of the current crop of humorists, along with sections on the Irish mammy, literary feuds and putdowns and epitaphs.

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This book is a fun and lighthearted look at the notoriously funny and wonderfully unique Irish wit.The Irish have a famously hilarious way with words that has made them beloved the world over. Producing comedians such as Dylan Moran, Sharon Horgan, Tommy Tiernan, Alison Spittle, Graham Linehan and Ed Byrne, who artfully blend mockery with a self-deprecating appreciation of their unique vernacular, Ireland has a language and culture like no other. Migrating from their small Emerald Isle to many far corners of the world, the Irish have brought with them that complex black humour and sarcasm that defines them. From the satires of Jonathan Swift, George Bernard Shaw and Oscar Wilde through to the hilarity of J.P. Donleavy and the sublime nonsense of Flann O’Brien and Spike Milligan, their distinct culture has been celebrated by many and in many forms.The Wicked Wit of Ireland combines traditional Irish humour, one-liners, anecdotes, and of course quips about the classic Irish mammy, into a fun and entertaining compilation.

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Is That Your Final Answer? is a celebration of the most jaw-droppingly stupid, embarrassing and unforgettably hilarious answers given by contestants on television and radio quiz shows.We’ve all been there: you’re asked a question at a special event or work presentation; you have to say something, think fast, say anything! So you blurt out the first thing that comes in to your head, which turns out to be something idiotic, embarrassing or just plain wrong. So, imagine how much more intense that sense of panic must be if you are on a TV quiz show, under the bright lights, with a camera pointing at you and the studio audience giggling at your discomfort. Or live on the radio, with your foolish words being broadcast to everyone you know …Like the contestant who, asked ‘Which member of the crow family native to the UK has a bare face?’ answered ‘Russell.’ Or another who, asked ‘What might a blind date conveniently forget to mention about himself,’ answered ‘He’s blind!’One of the great pleasures of watching a quiz show is sitting smugly at home, shouting answers at the television and savouring the brain fades and stunned reactions that are celebrated in this book. So, sit back and enjoy the wonderful laughs to be found within – and perhaps spare a thought for the poor individuals who have suffered the excruciating embarrassment of actually having uttered them!

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