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comedy · Thursday 30 July 2026 · 7:30pm 
Jason Byrne - Work in Progress
At Spirit Store · Georges Quay, Dundalk, Co. Louth, A91 NR79
At Spirit Store · Georges Quay, Dundalk, Co. Louth, A91 NR79
Jason Byrne has been described by The Times as “the outright king of live comedy,” and a work-in-progress show at an intimate venue like the Spirit Store is exactly where you see why. This is new material being road-tested before his “30 Years Byrning” anniversary tour rolls out across the UK and Ireland - which means the set is looser, funnier in unexpected places, and cheaper than a polished headline show. If you have seen Byrne before, you will know that the gap between scripted and unscripted barely matters; if you have not, this is a particularly good way to start.
A work-in-progress show is stand-up in its most honest form. Byrne brings material he is still shaping, the audience gets to watch a craft comedian figure out what works, and things go sideways in ways that a fully rehearsed tour would not allow. His style is high-energy and interactive - reviews regularly note ruined mascara and genuinely breathless laughter. The Spirit Store holds around 200 people in its main room, so there is no hiding in a crowd of that size, and Byrne tends to use that proximity. Doors open at 7:30pm; plan to be in your seat by then rather than arriving mid-set.
The Spirit Store itself is one of the best-regarded small venues in Ireland - a quayside bar with a strong reputation for booking acts early in their ascent and for treating the room well. A91 Street Food has a residency inside, so you can eat before the show rather than rushing for a table elsewhere.
Dundalk sits roughly halfway between Dublin and Belfast on the main N1/M1 corridor. By car from Dublin it is about an hour; from Belfast around 45 minutes. The Spirit Store is on Georges Quay, right on the waterfront near the town centre, and street parking is available around the quay. Dundalk is also well served by Irish Rail on the Dublin-Belfast Enterprise line, with frequent services from Connolly Station. The venue is a short walk from Dundalk Clarke station.
Dundalk is a working town with a decent food and bar scene around the quay area, and you will not struggle to find somewhere to eat before the show. There is more to see in Dundalk and across Co. Louth.
Heading to Spirit Store in Dundalk? Louth has plenty more to see. Read the Dundalk area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.