Night of comedy will raise funds for Omagh’s third Pride pararde

OMAGH is set to welcome a staggering line-up of comedians to Bogan’s Bar on May 19 for ‘Belly Laughs with Pride’, hosted by Cat Brogan and Rory McSwiggan.

The event will run as a fundraiser for Omagh’s third Pride parade, which is set to take place on June 17, and will feature comedy talent from all over the North, including David Doherty-Jebb, Heather Anderson, Leo Lardie, Ceili Rae Minogue and Rose Coogan.

Speaking to the UlsterHerald about the event, host Cat Brogan said, “We have pulled this year’s Pride event forward to June instead of September to coincide with Global Pride Month.

“When it came to organising a fundraiser, we recognised that there is already a strong comedy scene in Omagh, so our committee member, Louise Taylor, spear-headed the idea to have a comedy night.”

With the committee serving as a platform for people of the LGBTQIA+ community to share their passions, interests, and to stage events and express themselves however they wish to in the spotlight, Cat further explains that the special night ‘will offer something a little different from the traditional angles of stand-up comedy and its usual themes’.

No strangers to the stage, Cat is a producer, poet and host, who is also co-founder of Omagh Pride, having been at the forefront of the previous two Pride events in the town.

Co-host, Rory McSwiggan, is a Derry-based comedian, who has been performing for more than 20 years, and is best-known as the host of Chicken Box Comedy; a monthly comedy club based in Derry, that also streams online.

Omagh Pride was founded in 2021 with the purpose of organising annual Pride parades, as well as working to increase visibility and representation for queer people in rural areas, and enhancing the rights and well-being of the LGBTQIA+ people of West Tyrone.

Tickets to ‘Belly Laughs with Pride’ are on sale now via www.eventbrite.com at £10 each.

Doors open at 7.30pm.