Kevin McAleer
Biography
Kevin McAleer (born 1956) is an Irish stand-up comedian. He came to prominence on the RTÉ television show Nighthawks which began broadcasting in the late 1980s. McAleer became known for his three-minute sketches of surreal rustic tales told in his slow County Tyrone drawl. One critic said that McAleer "put the dead back into deadpan". In 2022 he toured his one-man show entitled Why am I Here and played the part of boring Uncle Colm in Derry Girls on Channel 4. In 2024 he announced his retirement from stand-up comedy, with final shows in Dublin and Belfast. McAleer lives in Omagh, County Tyrone; he believes his comic talents blossomed in the classroom and he lived in Barcelona, Spain, for a period. In July 2009, McAleer stated that he has completed a first draft of a book about John F. Kennedy. The book remains unfinished. He writes in his office in Omagh and cites Flann O'Brien, James Joyce, Don DeLillo, Umberto Eco and Nikolai Gogol as influences. McAleer writes occasional comic pieces for the Irish Times, responding to current events such as Brexit.
Known For & Full Filmography6 Titles
Drama Series - 2018, 16 episodes • as Colm McCool
Amidst the political conflict of Northern Ireland in the 1990s, five secondary school students square off with the universal challenges of being a teenager.
Drama Series - 2018, 16 episodes • as Uncle Colm
Amidst the political conflict of Northern Ireland in the 1990s, five secondary school students square off with the universal challenges of being a teenager.
Movie - 2015, 2h 15m • as Proinsias
Born under the Christmas Star, Noelle believes she has the gift to perform miracles, so when conniving developer McKerrod threatens her peaceful life she and her friends determine to use this gift to thwart his plans and save their village.
Movie - 1998, 2h 15m • as Ivor Craig
Belfast, in 1970s. Victor Kelly is a young protestant man who hates the Catholics so much that one night he begins to brutally murder them. A reporter soon tries to uncover the murder and obtained prestige for himself, while Victor sinks deeper into madness.
Movie - 1997, 2h 15m • as Self
In early 1997, Amnesty held a comedy gala at the Gaiety Theatre in Dublin. The performers were primarily Irish performers including: Barry Murphy, Brendan O'Carroll, Pauline McLynn, Dermot Morgan, Kevin McAleer, Owen O'Neill, and Kevin Gildea. The show was videotaped and televised on ITV in March 1997.
Movie - 1993, 2h 15m • Main Cast Role
Comedian Kevin McAleer delivers a hilarious monologue about his upbringing and society in Ireland