Tommy Tiernan is an Irish comedian, actor, and writer.
25 Facts About Tommy Tiernan
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Tommy Tiernan is best known for his stand-up career, hosting The Tommy Tiernan Show and playing Gerry in the sitcom Derry Girls.
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Tommy Tiernan moved with his family as a child; after spells living in London and Zambia, he attended the Catholic ex-junior seminary St Patrick's Classical School in Navan, where his schoolmates included Hector O hEochagain and Dylan Moran.
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Tommy Tiernan has appeared several times on The Late Late Show.
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Tommy Tiernan has appeared on Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow, The Lee Mack Show, Dave's One Night Stand, QI, and joined Eddie Izzard and Ross Noble at Laughs in the Park.
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In "Going to America", the final episode of the clerical sitcom Father Ted, Tommy Tiernan plays a young priest.
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In 2013, Tommy Tiernan performed in Vicar Street, Dublin, for his 200th show, in front of an audience of 1,000 people.
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On 5 January 2017, Tiernan presented the first episode of The Tommy Tiernan Show on RTE One.
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Tommy Tiernan has starred as Da Gerry in the hit sitcom Derry Girls since 2018.
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Tommy Tiernan was presenter of the Tommy and Hector Podcast with Laurita Blewitt from September 2020 until its closure in April 2024.
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In 2007, some families of people with Down syndrome complained about a routine in Tommy Tiernan's act about people with the condition.
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An appearance on The Late Late Show in 2008 led to complaints about Tommy Tiernan's jokes involving a methadone user, Eastern European immigrant accents, buying a motorbike from an injured biker, and a film idea about "gay Traveller spacemen" seeking a cure for gayness, eight of which were upheld by the Broadcasting Complaints Commission.
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Tommy Tiernan responded by making remarks about the Holocaust and Jews and the death of Christ.
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Tommy Tiernan said that the comments were part of an attempt to explain his belief that comedians have a duty to be "irresponsible and reckless", to allow "whatever lunacy is within you to come out", and that they should never be taken out of context.
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Tommy Tiernan added that the statements that had caused controversy had been preceded by a statement not to take the rant seriously.
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Rabbi and comedian Bob Alper said that Tommy Tiernan's statement on the subject was an attempt to "weasel out" of the situation.
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Tommy Tiernan said the last question asked from the floor about a "dogged charge of anti-Semitism" led to the comments, and part of Tiernan's response recounted criticism of his routine by a Jewish couple after a show in New York City.
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Tyaransen said that Tommy Tiernan's comments had been taken out of context and that he personally saw the monologue as "very funny".
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In January 2023 Tommy Tiernan started his standup routine in Vicar Street with a joke that he said his daughter had warned him not to use.
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Tommy Tiernan described the joke as racist and "way too close to the bone".
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Tommy Tiernan contacted her via email and phoned her to apologise.
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When Tommy Tiernan started out, he wanted to be like Lenny Bruce.
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Tommy Tiernan had admitted that his sense of humour is controversial, but claims that it is based on instinct and denies there is any malice in it.
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Tommy Tiernan has three children with former partner Jayme Street He married Yvonne McMahon, his partner and manager, on 9 August 2009 at St Patrick Catholic Church in County Monaghan; they had been together since December 2002.
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In 1996, Tommy Tiernan won the Channel 4 "So You Think You're Funny" award.