After school in Limerick, Dermot Whelan studied French and archaeology at Trinity college, Dublin.

He worked as an assistant director in film and TV for five years, before jacking it in to follow a new career in radio and stand-up.

After a stint in news on Dublin’s 98FM, he started writing comedy routines for the breakfast show before landing the presenting job himself.

He started in comedy in 2004, and within a year he was performing at the Kilkenny Cat's Laugh Festival and the Edinburgh Fringe.

He’s since been on RTE stand-up show Liffey Laughs and topical comedy show The Panel.

Dermot Whelan at Cat Laughs 2009
Live Review
Kilkenny Cleeres

Imagining a more realistic Thomas The Tank Engine, for example, prompts predictable scenarios about delays and incomprehensible announcements that every commuter complains about. And what’s the deal with Teletubbies? They must have been stoned to come up with that idea! Yes, it’s the most obvious line – and he’s still doing it.

So when he brings out his guitar, it comes as no surprise that he just changes a few words of hit songs to make them about something else.

He gets away with his bad writing habits a bit more when talking about news stories, as the topicality gives him some extra latitude, but it’s generally a shame a comic with such nice air about him, has put so little thought into the gags.

Oh be nice

john, January 2010