It’s okay if your serotonin is store-bought…. Or purchased on Eventbrite. Dublin City has numerous comedy clubs that will provide you with a quick fix for your prevailing mental health issues. Because who wants to commit to therapy every week when you could pay for a show that is sure to leave you in stitches?
Dublin’s comedy scene is the perfect chill night out and early night in, or even a kick-start to a crazy night on the town. Ranging in start times from 7pm to 9pm and generally ending no later than 10.30pm, comedy clubs are a noncommittal, guaranteed good time.
“Tucked away in Workman’s Vintage Room, Sin é downstairs area, or Whelan’s upstairs — Dublin’s comedy scene is at once unassuming and intimate.”
Tucked away in Workman’s Vintage Room, Sin é downstairs area, or Whelan’s upstairs — Dublin’s comedy scene is at once unassuming and intimate. It is advisable to show up a little early to acquire a drink and some good seats. Doors open around thirty to forty-five minutes before the show starts, and, especially if you have social anxiety, you want to be there with ample time so that you can avoid the front row.
Each show generally consists of three to four acts with a host who will make appearances in the interim to knit the comedians together in seamless transitions and create a harmonious energy throughout the natural oscillations of the performance. These breaks also allow for the audience to catch their breath and prepare for the next laugh. All acts, and especially the host, interact with the audience to create a warm and welcoming environment. Enter feeling the social pressure of an unknown crowd of people and leave feeling like you have made a whole new group of friends to who you have never said a word.
I left the Craic Den Comedy Club on Friday as part of a Scottish man’s stag party, although his wedding had taken place the year prior. The comedy scene creates a humanising space where usual social barriers are lowered and people are more than willing to laugh at themselves. That being said, certain groups are easier to make fun of than others. If it’s your first time in a Dublin comedy club, you may not want to show up as a large group of lads or with your British friends, unless you are more than happy to be taken the piss out of.
Some prominent and worthwhile comedy clubs to try near town include:
“The Craic Den Comedy Club has shows four nights a week, podcasts, and its own YouTube channel.”
Craic Den Comedy Club
Ready for a guaranteed laugh? Want to listen to some hilarious stories that will fly by in an hour-and-a-half show? The Craic Den Comedy Club has shows four nights a week, podcasts, and its own YouTube channel. Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays they perform in The Workman’s Club Vintage Room, featuring different lineups every week. All information and links are provided on their Instagram (@the_craic_den) as well as posters with their weekly lineup so that if you enjoy any of the performances and feel like going back for more, you can find the specific comedians responsible.
Hysteria Comedy Club
Calling the girls and the gays! Inclusive. Diverse. Very relatable. Hysteria Comedy Club performs downstairs at Sin é, on the Quays, three to five nights a week. If you are queer and looking for good comedy or a woman searching for a safe environment to enjoy a good laugh, Hysteria Comedy Club is the place. Their shows include women and non-binary open mic stand-up nights, the wonderfully dorky Nerd Herd and Hysterical Women. Tickets are available on Eventbrite, and their Instagram (@hysteriaireland) provides regular updates.
The International Bar
The so-called Home of Irish Comedy and the host of Dublin’s oldest comedy club, the International Bar on Wicklow Street has a comedy show on almost every night of the week. The Comedy Cellar (Instagram: @comedy_cellar) performs every Wednesday, The International Comedy Club provides entertainment every Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Dublin Comedy Improv is every Sunday and Stitches Comedy Club (Instagram: @stitchesdublin) performs on Tuesdays. Tickets can be found on the International Bar’s website.
Comedy Crunch Club
FREE! That’s all. The Comedy Crunch Club performs every Sunday and Monday at The Stags Head off Dames Street. An Eventbrite ticket to the Comedy Crunch Club will get you free entry AND free ice cream! For more information, check out their Instagram (@dublincrunch).
Cherry Comedy Club
Every Monday night the Cherry Comedy Club (Instagram: @cherrycomedy) performs upstairs at Whelans. Doors open at 8pm and the show starts at 9pm. Tickets are on their website. Be there or be square.
“Dublin’s comedy scene provides opportunities to enjoy a laugh every night of the week.”
Dublin’s comedy scene provides opportunities to enjoy a laugh every night of the week. Tickets are usually about a tenner and most of them can be found on Eventbrite. A short relief from college stress or any commitments? Count me in.
