Des Bishop
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Des Bishop | |
 On the Late Late Show
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| Born | New York City, United States |
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| Residence | County Wexford, Ireland |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Stand-up comedian |
| Website http://www.desbishop.com |
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Des Bishop (Deasún Mac an Easpaig in Irish) is a New York City born comedian. He is now primarily based in Ireland having moved to County Wexford in 1990.
His comedy is heavily based on his observation of Irish society, and is supported by his talent for impersonating the regional variations of the Irish accent.
He reached a broader audience after his TV show The Des Bishop Work Experience screened on RTÉ Two in 2004. The show featured him attempting to survive for one month working a minimum wage job in various parts of Ireland. During the series, he worked at Abrakebabra, Waterford; The Aqua-dome, Tralee; Superquinn, Dundalk; and the Central Hotel, Dublin.
A more recent TV show, named Joy in the Hood, featured him travelling to impoverished areas of Ireland's major cities and mentoring local people in stand-up comedy.
Des has worked as a comic in Ireland since the late 1990s, when he began hosting shows at the International Comedy Cellar - a venue set up by Irish comics such as Ardal O'Hanlon, Kevin Gildea and Barry Murphy. It was here that Bishop honed his act.
Bishop first reached a TV audience in early 2000, after appearing on Don't Feed the Gondolas, a news based topical TV show. He later had to pull out of this show due to personal reasons. Around this time, Bishop was diagnosed with testicular cancer - rather than shy away from this subject, Des went on to turn his experiences into comedy material.
Bishop created a "hip-hopera" called "RAP ÉIRE" along with Arthur Riordan. "Rap Éire" was a satire following the story of an ambitious American who finds himself mixed up with a group of political types during the throes of early Celtic Tiger fervour. The show had two runs - firstly in the Project Arts centre in February 2001 and afterwards in the Andrews Lane Theatre the following summer. Bishop performed every night of the first run while receiving radiotherapy for Testicular Cancer. In fact the original premier date for the play at the Dublin Fringe Festival 2000 was cancelled as a result of the original diagnosis. Bishop and Riordan also co-wrote "Shooting Gallery", their second collaboration which had a short run in Dublin in 2005.
Bishop also appeared in the 2002 film, In America, in which he played a high stockbroker rapping in the back of a NYC taxi cab.[1]
Des' brother Aidan is now a working comedian in Ireland[2]. Both are involved in running the International Comedy Club.
Des's new TV show, In the Name of the Fada premiered in 2008. It deals with Des trying to learn Irish to a standard sufficient to perform an entire standup act through the language.[3]
