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Author

Karl MacDermott

Karl MacDermott

Karl MacDermott is an Irish humour writer. He has written jokes no one has laughed at, radio plays no one has listened to, a television series no one watched and a novel The Creative Lower Being no one read.
He should be a very morose individual but he is not because he is deeply
passionate about facilitating his delusions. Over the years he has contributed many satirical articles to The Irish Times and has seen his flash fiction pieces appear in such online magazines as Every Day Fiction, Pure Slush, Molotov Cocktail, Literary Orphans, The Big Jewel and Headstuff. In 2014 he released an e-book Ireland’s Favourite Failure available on Amazon Kindle. A new book of short comic fiction Juggling With Turnips has just been published by Eyewear Publishing.
He is currently writer-in-residence at his home in Dublin.

Humour

Stand-Ups and Turnips

Karl MacDermott
The humour editor of HeadStuff interviews Karl MacDermott about his new book Juggling With Turnips which touches upon Karl's own career as a stand-up comedian in Ireland in the 1990s. Reading your recently published book, Juggling With…
Humour

Ziggy Stardust Ruined My Life

Karl MacDermott
Monday the 11th of January 2016. David Bowie is dead. The world is in mourning.  Except for one person. 60 year-old Irish woman, Maisie Moynihan. “It’s because of that man I’m an old maid. It’s because of that man I’ve been left on the…
Humour

Galway’s Greatest Lover

Karl MacDermott
When I walked into Galway city as a young adult in the 1980’s I always passed this man in Lower Salthill who would be leaning over a low gate with his belly hanging out. And I would ask myself “Who is this man leaning over a low gate with…
Humour

Heckler For Hire

Karl MacDermott
In late 2004 I started using a small dictaphone to record my stand-up routine. To monitor where laughs were coming in my material. Ok, not laughs. Strained muffled pitiful groans. One evening I performed a spot at The Comedy Hovel. Later…
Humour Features

Give Pearse A Chance

Karl MacDermott
For the week that's in it, Karl MacDermott has thoughtfully provided us with his 2003 radio comedy pilot Give Pearse A Chance starring Conor Lambert, Morgan Jones, Karl MacDermott, Deirdre Monaghan and Colette Proctor and produced by Daniel…
Humour

The Judas Journal

Karl MacDermott
An approximate translation of an extract from Judas Iscariot’s recently unearthed journal. Am approached by a Roman centurion in a crowded bazaar. He asks me would I be willing to betray Jesus. It would be worth my while. He winks. I make…
Humour

The Sad Tale Of A Comedy Junkie

Karl MacDermott
It is 1996. I am a young Irish stand-up comedian. The stage is not my home. It is more like a youth hostel in Wiesbaden. I never storm during my act - just lightly rain shower. I have started referring to laughs as Godot. Most evenings when…
Humour

Joseph – Diary Of A Carpenter

Karl MacDermott
In the archaeological discovery of the year, Joseph the Carpenter’s diaries have recently been unearthed. Here we examine his account of that very first Christmas and find a written testimony that at times gives us a surprising insight into…