Ed Byrne (comedian)

Ed Byrne
Byrne after Different Class at the Lowry Centre, 2009
Birth name	Edward Cathal Byrne
Born	(1972-04-16) 16 April 1972 (age 45) Swords, Dublin, Ireland
Medium	Comedian, actor
Years active	1995–present
Genres	Observational comedy, social satire
Spouse	Claire Walker (2008–present)
Children	2

Edward Cathal "Ed" Byrne (born 16 April 1972) is an Irish stand-up comedian, voice over artist and actor. He has presented television shows Uncut! Best Unseen Ads and Just for Laughs, and is a guest on television panel games. As an actor, he played the title character in the 2000 ITV adaptation of the pantomime Aladdin.

Byrne was born in Swords, Dublin, in Ireland, in 1972, to Jill and Eddie Byrne, the third of four children.

Deciding to study horticulture at the University of Strathclyde, he was made entertainments convener at the Students' Union in his second year of study. Byrne started a comedy night called The Comedy Cellar in the basement of the 13th Note public house on Glassford Street, Glasgow. On the first night, Byrne appeared on the roster alongside Armando Ianucci's brother David. Over the following few months, acts booked included Ford Kiernan, Phil Kay, Greg Hemphill, Alan Francis and Alan Tyler. After a few months he gave up studying and headed to London. He was later booked to appear at the The Comedy Cellar by new convenors Ford Kiernan and J.P. Leach.

After building up his act on observational comedy, Byrne was nominated for the prestigious Perrier Comedy Award at the 1998 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.