Deirdre O'Kane kicks off new tour in Athlone this week 

Comedian Deirdre O'Kane will be in Athlone tomorrow (Friday) as she starts her new tour - 'A line of O'Kane' - with a performance in the Radisson Blu Hotel.

The Athlone show will be followed with performances in Limerick, Wexford, Cork, Drogheda, and Galway.

O'Kane, who recently turned 50, was one of the finalists in this season of 'Dancing with the Stars' on RTE One.

Tickets for her Athlone show are currently on sale, priced €20, from the hotel and from ticketstop.ie

We recently interviewed Deirdre ahead of her Athlone show:

How did you first get started in stand up comedy?

I went down to one of the early Cat Laughs festivals, saw what a lot of the comics were doing, and thought to myself, 'I could have a go at that'. At the time, I had been solely focused on acting. And really it all happened from there. For many years I was the only woman on the circuit; now I'm delighted to see so much female talent breaking through.

What has been your most memorable performance to date?

In March we did our second ever Paddy's Night event, in support of Comic Relief, at the 3 Arena. It really was something special to be up there performing in front of 8,000 comedy fans. Not something that you'd forget in a hurry! And it raised nearly a quarter of a million euros for Irish charities working on homelessness and the refugee crisis which, of course, was utterly brilliant.

What can the audience expect at the show in Athlone?

Jokes! Lots of jokes! I'll be chatting about everything from Dancing with the Stars to moving house, to God knows what. 

What were the best and worst aspects of appearing on Dancing with the Stars? 

Dancing is just good for the soul. It was certainly intense at times, but nonetheless I'll always remember it as being one of the best experiences of my professional life. I'll be happy to not have permanently sore feet!
 
What is your current state of mind?

Delight at seeing the spring finally arrive. Please, please, no more snow.
 
Who is your favourite comedian, living or dead?

If I told you that I'd be immediately out of a circle of friends. Of course I love them all equally.
 
Name three things you could not live without?

Good food, good wine, and good company.
 
Last music you listened to and liked?

I danced to The Cranberries' Zombie during the show and I have to say, it's sounds as good if not better than the first day it was released. We lost a huge talent there. 
 
Favourite film?

I fell in love with La La Land when I finally got to see it. Pure old Hollywood.

Favourite place in the world to visit?

I only moved back to Dublin, after a decade in London, about 18 months ago. I'm so happy to be here, back among my tribe again. So I'm appreciating home pastures right now, rather than looking too far afield.

What are your hopes for the remainder of 2018?

I really hope people enjoy the new show. I've been putting a lot into it and the Radisson in Athlone is the first night of the tour on April 27, so I'll be excited to get that off the ground. No rest for the wicked, and long may that last!