How would you describe Irish humour?

sarky and self deprecating.

Some people think it's picking on someone unmercifully... they aren't usually funny at all.

As dry as Ghandi's slipper.

In my (and my friends) cases it is often sickeningly crude, so much that I have to watch who's around me first.

From having worked extensively overseas, I had to adapt my expression of humour to be accepted locally. One of the things I've had to adapt is that the format of Irish humour is markedly different. Irish humour tends to revolve primarily around telling stories ("So I says 'xxxxx', so she says, 'xxxxx' "), or making puns ("Tonehenge", "Stiffy on the Liffey"), etc. Definitely slagging is not universal, it is definitely Irish, but don't know enough to say whether it is Irish only or British only as I've never lived there. Also, I've noticed that when asked our honest opinion about something, even in writing, it isn't uncommon to insert humour there as well, which to foreigners may look out of place or inconsistent with expectations of decorum. Humour tends to be much more common place in Irish society than many other places.

Taboo subjects tend to be very different. Gay sex jokes, sex jokes in general, race jokes, religion jokes, and political jokes, tend to be much more taboo than elsewhere. Irish humour tends to be shier, and more about, well, nothing. Standup comedians use funny situations, poke loving fun at Ireland and Irish culture, make fun of regional stereotypes, but humour tends to be, well, about nothing, i.e. the point is to have fun, but not to be (very) critical. By comparison, the great standup comedians of the US, like George Carlin, Andrew Dice Clay, Richard Pryor, Bill Hicks, Chris Rock, Dennis Miller, Lenny Bruce, some of these were viciously aggressive, usually with a specific point in mind. I do think British humour to be in between Irish and American humour in that regard.

Given the state of affairs in Ireland, imagine if we had a Jon Stewart lampooning Irish politics on a nightly basis. There surely is plenty enough fodder! Though I'm not sure if he'd be made Taoiseach, run out of town, or sued to bits.

Timing

Blobby George wrote: »

O Briain is a terrible comedian who has been winging it for far too long. He is symptomatic of the nudge wink type humour the Irish lap up so much.

O'Brien is terrible I agree. He landed on his feet in the UK for some reason. Lame ass jokes altogether, he used to do a really annoying, EHHHHH, after each punchline. To me is a very bad representitive of Irish humour.

I suppose I would describe it as witty.

Dave Allen would be a very good Irish comedian.

I can't say I ever got yerman Tommy Tiernan. I haven't seen most of his stuff and I don't think I will ever bother.

I think it can vary from county to county. Or there may even be a town/country divide.

Irish humour can be very literal and we can come across as being smart arses, even when we're not. An example is when the Cheryl asked Jedward where they saw themselves in 15yrs time and one of them said "well I see myself being older". Louis got it but Simon thought they were being cheeky gits.

It's also deeply sarcastic and cutting and I have to tone it down sometimes or people take it the wrong way.