Born in 1971 in Dundrum, N. Ireland, Patrick Kielty began as a stand up whilst studying psychology at Queen’s University Belfast and quickly made a name for himself as the host of Northern Ireland’s first comedy club “The Empire Laughs Back”.
His fearless satirical routines, in which he regularly attacked both Republican and Loyalist paramilitaries drew praise from both critics and those on the streets of pre-ceasefire Belfast, not least because he himself had lost his father to loyalist gunmen, aged 16.
The BBC were quick to pick up on his ability to both provoke and charm in equal measure and his big break came in 1995 with Comic Relief’s ‘St Patrick’s Day Stand Up Special’ along side established stars such as Ben Elton and Jo Brand. His first 2 stand up titles went triple platinum and an RTS award winning series “PK Tonight” for BBC Belfast quickly followed.
A sell out UK tour and a best selling DVD confirmed Patrick as one of Ireland’s most successful comedy exports