Hi everyone,

Since the last almost monthly newsletter from www.jigser.com the clocks went
back in time, the national ploughing championships* took place in Kilkenny and
so much sh*t hit the world's economic fan that people have started to
question the logic in storing that much sh*t that close to a fan in the first
place. Personally, I never had any money to begin with so the whole world
seemed to balance out in a strange kind of way this past few months.

Monkey Magic
Last month I did a show at The Trinity College Comedy Society. The logo of the
society is a cartoon of a monkey wearing a fez. This is an appropriate logo for
a club that brings laughter to the world's dullest college particularly when you consider that the monkey and fez combination are in and of themselves joyous things. During the opening minutes of my bit I commented that the monkey was actually the founder of the comedy society, was known as "Hugh Monkey"
and was in fact the first ever monkey to attend Trinity College. At that
moment, what appeared to be a young boy entered the back of the theatre.
Thinking that the planets had aligned, I gestured to the child and said,
"And here he is now". When the audience turned to see who had walked
in they saw, just as I did, that the latecomers was not a child but rather a
student man of small stature. There then followed 3 minutes of laughter through
cupped hands from the audience and 5 minutes of blushing from me.

Telly...
The Panel will return to your television screens on Thursday November 6th.
Two things will strike you as unusual about the first episode of the series.
One it will be on RTE 1 rather than RTE 2. And two, I will be on it. Please
tune in and touch wood I don't say anything about monkey men.

Movember...
Throughout the month of November I along with many other men will be taking
part in Movember by growing a mustachio to raise money** for prostate cancer
research. My goal is to raise loads of money and to look like John Aldridge. I
would love if you sponsored me in this quest by visiting this link.

Cards...
This year's collection of Jigser Christmas cards are launched today on
www.jigser.com/shop - I think you will like them. They include an elf knife
fighting card, a toddler Jesus card and an all new racist Santa card. Unlike
everything else in this country, the prices are still the same as last year.
Please order some and help me buy some clothes for the bábóg.

If you'd like to get a look at the mustachio or hear some new jokes
I've written since Edinburgh, I will performing at the following venues
throughout November.

Tour Dates:
Oct 30th...Laughter Lounge Dublin
Oct 31st...Laughter Lounge Dublin
Nov 1st...Laughter Lounge Dublin
Nov 5th...Roisin Dubh, Galway
Nov 6th...The Panel on RTE 1 (10PM)
Nov 9th...Black Box Theatre, Belfast
Nov 10th...Balor Theatre, Ballybofey
Nov 11th...University of Limerick
Nov 12th...Schnitzel Comedy Club Limerick
Nov 13th...De Barra's Clonakilty, West Cork
Nov 14th...Sugar Club, Dublin
Nov 20th...Tripod with Sean Hughes
Nov 21st & 22nd...Clonmel Comedy Festival
Nov 27th...Gibney's of Malahide with The Burkster

I provide a free high five to anyone who mentions the newsletter to me in
person. The offer is still good during the month of November.

Happy Halloween,

Jar.


*The opposite of Electric Picnic.
**The money raised by Movember is used to raise awareness of men's health issues and donated to Action Prostate Cancer (APC), an initiative of the Irish Cancer Society. APC will use the funds to raise vital awareness, educate men on risk factors

A quick hello,

And a quick reminder that this week (Tuesday 15th through Friday 18th) I'll be performing my new Edinburgh show "Relax The Cax" in The International Bar. Doors are at 6.30pm. There is a tiny 5 euro entrance fee but all of the proceeds will be donated to the people who run the Edinburgh Festival. Please come and see the show, recommend it to your friends or both. Bring your friends! It's going to be great fun.

For those of you who missed "Nobody Knows...Jarlath Regan" when it was on the TV3 and for those of you that have asked, I am in the process of uploading all three episodes to the youtube. Please bear with me. The internet, she is a temperamental mistress. All advice welcome.

Thanks for reading all the way to the end. There is a complimentary hi-five for anyone who mentions the email to me in person.

Hope to see you this week,

Jar.

Hi there,

And welcome to the June / July edition of the almost monthly newsletter from www.jigser.com. This newsletter is available through the site if you you go there and sign-up. Thanks to everyone who tuned into TV3 to watch "Nobody Knows...Jarlath Regan". If you want to find out about the Desperate-Housewives-type twist
in the tale then tune into the final episode this Friday at 10.30pm.

The Little Blue Tractor That Might...
The warm June evenings always bring me back to the days when the 6 year old me used to race my brother and sisters on our bikes. I say bikes but they were the only ones with proper bicycles. I was still riding a three wheel plastic tractor complete with steering column and front wheel pedals. Despite this, the races were ultra competitive, involved a parade ring where the bicycles / horses were lead around by the handle bar and the trainer (my brother) would dole out the advice on how he wanted this race to be ridden. The track was a straight stretch of gravely road and the places from where we began the race were staggered based on age, strength and quality of vehicle - at the very back of the road was my brother on a silver racer with dropped handle-bars, two bike lengths in front of him my eldest sister on a confirmation lady bike, a few feet in front of her my other sister on her Raleigh Ribbon and then there was me on my plastic tractor: four feet from the finish line.

I could vaguely hear the shout in the distance behind me: "GO!" Using all the strength in my six year old legs I tried to pedal. It was a struggle to get the wheels to take hold and gain traction in the thick gravel. Then, just as the tricycle began to inch towards the line a cloud of pedaling dust would swoosh by. Fourth place again. The most amazing part about it was that each time we raced, I would look over my shoulder and see my siblings in the distance, the finish line within touching distance and think "Those fools how could I possibly lose".

Edinburgh 2008
In many ways that's the same disillusion all small performers like me need to take to the Edinburgh Fringe each year. Otherwise you wouldn't go at all. This year my little blue plastic tractor is called "Relax The Cax". It's a show of stories, jokes, films and greeting cards about facing your fears and my experience of white collar boxing. If you live in Armagh, Bray, Dundrum or Galway I'll be coming to your area to do a preview performance of it during July. I'll also be doing it for 4 nights in the comfy, air-conditioned International Bar on Wicklow Street from July 15th through July 18th at 6.30pm every day. Pop in if you can. I promise it will be good.

Tour Dates:
July 2nd - 6th Somewhere in Atlanta Georgia
July 9th - Focus Ireland Comedy Night, Laughter Lounge
July 9th - The Comedy Cellar, Dublin
July 10th - Mermaid Arts Centre Bray
July 11th - The International Comedy Club
July 12th - The Mill Theatre, Dundrum
July 14th - The Balor Theatre, Ballybofey, Donegal
July 15th - 18th Previews, The International Bar, Wickow St. (6.30pm)
July 22nd - The Mish Mash, International Bar
July 24th - Roisin Dubh, Galway
July 25th - Ruby Room, Galway
July 25th - The Market Place Theatre, Armagh
July 26th - 27th Carlsberg Comedy Carnival
July 28th - 31st The Stand Edinburgh
Aug 1st - 25th Edinburgh Comedy Festival every day at 4pm.

Hope to see you at a show soon. Don't forget the final episode this Friday at 10.30pm on TV3.

All the best,

Jar.