Kevin McAleer (born 1956) is an Irish[1] 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[3] of surreal rustic tales told in his slow County Tyrone drawl. One critic said that McAleer "put the dead back into deadpan".[4] 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.[5] In 2024 he announced his retirement from stand-up comedy, with final shows in Dublin and Belfast.
| Kevin McAleer | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1956 (age 67–68) Omagh, Tyrone, Northern Ireland |
| Nationality | Irish[1] |
| Years active | 1980s – present |
| Notable works and roles | Nighthawks Derry Girls[2] |
Personal life and writing
McAleer lives in Omagh, County Tyrone; he believes his comic talents blossomed in the classroom and he lived in Barcelona, Spain, for a period.[6]
In July 2009, McAleer stated that he has completed a first draft of a book about John F. Kennedy.[7] The book remains unfinished.[8] He writes in his office which is located in Omagh and cites Flann O'Brien, James Joyce, Don DeLillo, Umberto Eco and Nikolai Gogol as influences.[9]
McAleer writes occasional comic pieces for the Irish Times, responding to current events such as Brexit.[10]