LAST WORD: 'I have my foot in the door, and I want to let as many people in as I can’

Jenny McGovern

Gowna native KEVIN MCGAHERN, knows how to work a crowd, years of gigging the comedy circuit has helped the 26 year old develop a thick skin, but is he ready to handle the wiley ways of Bernard O’Shea? On the eve of his national TV debut as host of 'Republic of Telly’ Kevin speaks exclusively to The Anglo-Celt’s JENNY MCGOVERN about his new role in RTÉ. 

The popular Republic of Telly show returns to our screens on Monday, October 28 with the young Kevin McGahern at the helm. Each 30 minute episode offers a satirical look at the various TV shows of Britain and Ireland and has several comedy sketches - both the Rubber Bandits and Damo & Ivor began as sketches on the show. This is the show’s fifth season and sees Kevin take over presenting duties from Dermot Whelan and joining co-stars Bernard O’Shea and Jennifer Maguire.
“We just had a full run through this week, where we had an audience in and surprisingly it went really well. Nobody booed me and there were no rotten cabbages or tomatoes thrown my way” Kevin quips. “So that’s relieved a bit of pressure and now I’m just looking forward to the real thing.”
All joking aside, the comedian seems to be settling into his new role.
“It is very exciting, I’m getting on well with Jen and Bernard. They’re well used to it at this stage and they’ve told me to have fun and to milk it for all it’s worth - in fact the whole crew are being very nice to me, ” he says. “I thought I’d walk in there (RTÉ) and be the odd one out but the majority of people working on the show are culchies. I feel like we’re slowly taking over Dublin, which is great. Much like the pubs and the landlord systems of the past we’re slowly taking over entertainment.”
A bold but true statement, with our very own Lisa O’Neill and The Strypes reaching dizzying heights and conquering the music end of things, Cavan is well and truly on the map. Kevin is assisting the Cavan invasion by shoe-horning as many local folk as possible into the show’s comedy sketches.
He tells the Celt: “A lot of the time, we need loads of funny people for crowd scenes and I suppose because of the Gonzo (Cavan based theatre company) I have a phonebook full of talented people who will do stuff for free and enjoy doing it. “I see it as a bonus because, although it makes my job easier I also get a kick out of seeing Cavan people on the telly. We’ve had Ray Fitzsimons in a few already and we’ve recently roped Aodhán McBreen into dressing up as a character called Edward Hurleyhands. It’s great fun and it’s great to have an outlet for these crazy ideas and I feel like I have my foot in the door and I want to let as many people in as I can,” he laughs.
While on the subject of locals the Celt asks if he’s come across fellow Cavan man Dr Dull, Malachy McKeever from Butlersbridge, in the hallowed halls of RTÉ: “I actually met him the other day as he was getting into costume for Dr Dull. I love that show, I’ve asked him if I can come on as a guest. I could be something like a third cousin once removed of Dr Dull, It’d be great craic,” he muses.
One would think that McGahern’s previous roles as the dim witted 'Sim Card’ in the Hardy Bucks and his starring stint in the '3 Mobile’ ad would have afforded him some notoriety in the public eye but he denies this “Unless they were to scour the depths of the Evening Herald, people are unlikely to know who I am. Thankfully nobody has come up to me on the street yet.
Being known as a 'celebrity’ will be a bit odd, I’m certainly not looking forward to being mobbed by teenagers, but I will enjoy hobnobbing about Dublin. I suppose in a way I’ll have to be careful, it wouldn’t look good if some prick was taking photos of me falling out of clubs in the city, - but the sessions in Blessing’s will be as wild as ever.”
As a stand up comedian Kevin’s often had to endure hecklers, how will he fare with the inevitable mixed reviews of his hosting duties? “I think that I’ve got quite thick skin at this stage.” “We have very little pride in our work anyway” he jests, “so I shouldn’t be too melancholic if some lad from The Herald gives us a stinky review.”
The Celt wonders if he has any plans for the premiere on Monday.
“I haven’t really planned anything for the opening night, I’ve just been concentrating on getting the first show over me. I might rally the troups and put a projector up against the wall of the ball alley in Gowna,” he laughs.
“If it was a film that I was in, I’d be running into the nearest pub shouting 'Hey quick turn on the TV’ and everyone would pat me on the back and buy me drinks, but alas I haven’t got that much sway....yet.”

'Republic of Telly’ starts Monday, 28 October on RTÉ TWO, 9.50pm; to apply for audience tickets email tellytickets@rte.ie