Pauric Gallagher is a comedian from Raphoe who has been performing stand-up all over the island of Ireland since debuting in October 2013. He has recently returned from a tour of Canada where his witty, observational, story-telling comedy has earned him a growing fan-base now on both sides of the Atlantic.
He was a finalist in the highly-regarded Forbidden Fruit Comedy Competition in 2015 and has played support for such names as Gearoid Farrelly, Pat McDonnell and Andrew Maxwell.
“Pauric Gallagher Should Have More To Worry About” covers all the major concerns of any man in his early thirties should have, career, love-life and beards! Over the course of the show Pauric takes his audience on a journey through the very real struggles of a man who in the words of his mother “has little to be at!”
Locally Pauric has been involved in a number of local theatre productions and has also worked as a writer and director on the AyeTv1 webseries ‘Letterkenny People’ and is part of the Diamond Writers in Raphoe.
Pauric will be hosting this year’s Culture Night Comedy at An Grianan Theatre on Friday and he will also be performing from 9pm at Voodoo Vintage on Thursday October 6th.
This is Pauric’s Donegal…
(1) What is your favourite place in Donegal and why?
Beltony Stone Circle, just outside my hometown Raphoe. The setting is beautiful and the views on a good day are breathtaking, even on a bad day they’re pretty good. There’s a great, calming atmosphere there too, when the sheep aren’t around.
(2) If you could change one thing about Donegal what would it be?
A motorway direct to Dublin so I could get to gigs a bit easier, better still a train. Ah well, a boy can dream.
(3) Who is the one person in Donegal that you look up to and why?
Jim McGuinness, when I see what he’s achieved both personally and professionally by believing in himself and the esteem in which he is held for being world class at what he does, it’s really inspiring. The Commit, Focus, Believe, Achieve philosophy is something I’m trying to implement into my creative endeavours.
(4) Daniel O’Donnell or Packie Bonner?
Packie Bonner, has to be. My first football memory is Packie saving ‘that’ penalty from Daniel Timofte at Italia ‘90
(5) What has been Donegal’s proudest moment in recent years?
It’s a tough call between the county’s two recent All-Ireland Senior Football Championship semi-final successes. Beating Cork in 2012 was emotional because we were final back at the top table for a tilt at Sam.
The win over Dublin was immense and I’m not a Dub-basher but the fact that the team were given no-chance by the ‘experts’ and the exquisite way they picked their opponents apart that day, played to their own strengths and got the result was amazing to watch and a privilege to be in Croke Park to witness it.
(6) What was Donegal’s saddest moment?
So many people taking their own lives in the county in recent times, it’s heart-breaking to hear about all the wonderful human beings leaving us far too soon. It’s something we can all be vigilant around, I’d encourage everyone to take a SAFETalk course.
(7) What is your favourite Donegal-made product?
The plays of Brian Friel and Frank McGuinness. Earlier in the year I played Manus in the Butt Drama Circle’s festival production of ‘Translations’. Our very first performance was in Glenties and it was a real honour to be the first group to perform a Friel play in Glenties after he sadly passed away last October.
(8) Who is Donegal’s greatest ambassador around the world and why?
Daniel O’Donnell. I was in Canada during the Summer to visit my fiancée, her family and of course do some gigs (priorities), in every city I went to in any music store Daniel’s albums were on sale. In Kitchener, Ontario I got speaking to the girl behind the counter and told him I was from the same part of Ireland as Daniel.
She said his music sells constantly there, people really like him. I’ve not met him, yet, but he always comes across as a genuinely decent person who cares about where he’s from and always tries to show it in the best possible light, not a bad way to be.
(9) Who is Donegal’s most successful businessperson in your opinion?
John McElhinney. To establish a family-owned business and compete internationally for all sorts of awards over decades is a great achievement. I might need to visit their menswear department before my big day.
(10) Who is your favourite Donegal sportsperson of all time?
There are so many to choose but I’ll go for, Shay Given. He has competed at the top of his sport for nearly twenty years, represented and captained his country, it’s some feat. I met him once, I think he had just signed on-loan for Sunderland to give you an idea of how long ago. He was the special guest to open a new clothes shop in Raphoe, there’s a picture of it at home and I think neither of us would want those haircuts again!
(11) What is your favourite Donegal restaurant?
Pat’s Pizza or if I’m entertaining, Pat’s On The Square. The Tap Room at Rathmullan House has great pizza too. Would you guess that pizza is my weakness? That’s why I need to do all the walking.
(12) Donegal’s golden eagles or basking sharks?
Golden Eagles – majestic
(13) What is your favourite Donegal saying or expression?
My Dad has a racing greyhound called “URSUMCRAICHI” so I think I’ll go for that.
(14) What is the biggest challenge facing the people of Donegal today?
There are no doubt plenty of challenges coming off the back of the UK’s decision to leave the EU and how that will impact on people’s everyday lives here and in Northern Ireland too.
(15) What is your favourite Donegal food?
See number 11, I think I watched too much Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as a kid!
(16) Is there anything that really annoys you about Donegal or its people?
We can be very down on ourselves and self-deprecation is nearly an Olympic sport. Donegal and it’s people have so much going for it we just have to make positive choices to make them happen. Sometimes I hear people say “Sure there’s nothing happening in Donegal”.
I feel like shaking them and telling them there’s so much happening you just need to look in the right places. Also more people should come to the monthly comedy night in Voodoo Vintage it’s class!
(17) Do you have a favourite local band?
I’ll declare a bias for Goats Don’t Shave because my uncle Patsy plays in the band and they created the Donegal National Anthem.
(18) If you had a million euro to improve something in Donegal what would it be?
Improved Mental Health Services and a million would only be scratching the surface unfortunately. In the unlikely event that there’s anything left, build half a railway line and make the government build the rest, Knock airport style.
(19) What is your favourite part about being a comedian?
Being able to use my writing and performance to talk about important subjects, as well as the silly stuff. I have a section in my new show ‘Pauric Gallagher Should Have More To Worry About’ where I talk about how important positive mental health is.
After one show an audience member approached me and commented on that bit in particular, they felt that using comedy to talk about the subject was a great approach and they found it effective.
(20) Is there anything about Donegal that you are very proud of?
The amount of fantastic art, writing, music, theatre and comedy being produced in the county is definitely something to be proud of and it’s a great feeling to see immensely talented people I know doing what they’re good at, expressing themselves and finding an appreciative and discerning audience. We have plenty to be proud of here and we should allow ourselves the chance to appreciate it.
To keep up to date with Pauric you can find him on Facebook or Twitter.