Kilkenny’s Cat Laughs comedy festival has announced this year’s line-up.

The event, which always attracts the cream of US talent as well as headliners from the UK and Ireland had faced a slimmed-down schedule after brewer’s Murphy’s decided not to renew its decade-old sponsorship.

But rival brewer Smithwick’s has stepped in to help fund the 2005 festival, which runs from June 2 to 6, to ensure as strong a programme as always.

Among the visiting Americans are Maria Bamford, Lewis Black, Bill Burr, Patton Oswalt, Rich Hall, Kevin Meaney, Andy Kindler, as well as Canadian Sean Cullen

The British contingent includes Bill Bailey, Omid Djalili and Lucy Porter, while the Irish acts include Ed Byrne, Jason Byrne,  Dylan Moran, Tommy Tiernan, Andrew Maxwell , Dara O’Briain and Ardal O’Hanlon.