Comic working on an adult animation about a family-owned Dublin pub

Jason Byrne is making a series he likens to an Irish version of The Simpsons.

The loosely autobiographical The Irelands of Ireland  is an adult animation set in a Dublin pub in the 1980s and 1990s.

The comedy is 'going to be like the Irish Simpsons … but it's working-class Ireland' Byrne told BBC Radio Wales.

The project developed out of the comic's 2022 one-man play, The Paddy Lama, in which he played his father, Paddy, dispensing the wit and wisdom of his 80 years while he smoked and drank.

 The Irelands of Ireland   'is based on my family and other people I know in Ireland' Byrne told BBC presenter Behnaz Akhgar. 'It's based on real stories in Ireland.

'They run a pub, which is great, called Irelands. And next door to it is a funeral parlour and the other side is a bookies… near where my mother lives in the suburbs of Dublin, they have a pub right there that has that.

'If you died, they put you over the right-hand side, if you win money you go to the left with the bookies.'

Byrne didn't disclose what platform The Irelands of Ireland might be coming to. But he has said that he wants to voice several of the characters.

He is making the show with Dublin-based Boulder Media, which has been involved in the production of several high-profile cartoon series, including Danger Mouse, The Amazing World of Gumball, The Simpsons creator Matt Groening's ancient Greek parody Krapopolis and Charlie Brooker's Tex Avery-inspired interactive Netflix short Cat Burglar.

Last week, it was announced that Boulder would be animating the new Netflix comedy  Living The Dream, created by Gumball’s  George Gendi who will star alongside the likes of Javone Prince, Julia Davis and Tom Stourton. 

Currently touring his Head In The Clouds stand-up show around the UK, Byrne previously voiced the sailors Fred and Zig in Ireland's first stop-motion animated film, Captain Morten and the Spider Queen.

 The 2018 feature's cast also included Brendan Gleeson and Ciarán Hinds, plus Father Ted star Pauline McLynn and stand-ups Tommy Tiernan and Neil Delamere.

– by Jay Richardson

Published: 19 Nov 2025