Shannon Basso Gaule performing in the final of Show Me the Funny in Galway last week

Carlow comedian Shannon Basso Gaule (second from right) with some of the finalists in the comedy competition  Show Me the Funny in the Kings Head, Galway

By Suzanne Pender

A CARLOW comedian proved he has what it takes to entertain the masses by scooping second place in one of Ireland’s largest and longest-running comedy competitions.

Shannon Basso Gaule claimed second place in the final of Show Me the Funny, the well-known competition held in the Kings Head, Galway.

In claiming the first runner-up slot, Shannon wins a coveted spot at the All Together Now festival in Waterford, which takes place in early August.

At the Show Me the Funny final, Shannon went head-to-head with ten other comics who had progressed from previous heats. The competitors had three judges to impress as well as a sold-out crowd of 180 punters at the Kings Head in Galway.

Previous contestants and finalists of Show Me the Funny have included Kevin McGahern, Bernard Casey, Alison Spittle, Emma Doran, Julie Jay and several others who are now mainstays of the Irish comedy circuit.

Shannon was delighted to claim second place, as he was a finalist last year and was disappointed in his performance. But the plucky Carlow man spent the last year working hard on new material and honing his act to impress this year.

Shannon is the host of Carlow’s only comedy club in Scraggs Alley, which has been a big success over the past year. Upcoming dates for the next shows are Friday 31 March, Friday 28 April, Friday 26 May and Friday 23 June. To keep up to date, follow Shannon @sbgcomedy on Instagram and Facebook, or Scraggs Alley for upcoming shows.