Paddy McDonnell: Gout's Out

What to Expect

Belfast comedian Paddy McDonnell brings his new autumn tour show, Gout’s Out, to Ballina Arts Centre on Saturday 17 October 2026 at 8pm. The show turns getting older into the main subject, with McDonnell working through gout, the perils of still trying to act like a young man through boxing, and the daily chaos of raising kids. It’s built in his usual style of turning everyday observations into anecdotes, drawing on his own experience of taxi driving, marriage and fatherhood along the way. McDonnell has five previous solo shows behind him and a track record of sold-out headline runs at major Belfast theatres and regular slots at comedy festivals across the UK and Ireland, so this is a well-road-tested hour rather than a debut set. The autumn tour format means the material has already been tested in front of live audiences elsewhere before it reaches Mayo, and Ballina Arts Centre’s intimate room suits the conversational, anecdote-driven style he’s built his name on. The show runs around 120 minutes.

Good to Know

• Date: Saturday 17 October 2026
• Time: 8:00pm
• Price: €20 (plus booking fee)
• Tickets: Ballina Arts Centre box office
• Duration: Around 120 minutes
• Venue phone: 096 73593, info@ballinaartscentre.com

Getting There

Ballina Arts Centre is on Barrett Street in the centre of Ballina, close to on-street parking and the town’s usual pub and restaurant strip. Ballina sits on the N26 and N59, around an hour from both Castlebar and Sligo, with Bus Eireann services connecting the town to the rest of the county.

While You’re in Ballina

Ballina’s town centre has a good choice of restaurants and bars for a night out around the show, and the River Moy runs right through the middle of town for a stroll beforehand. October puts this show at the start of the arts centre’s busiest autumn comedy run, so it’s a good one to combine with a weekend away in the county. Find more to do in Ballina and across Co. Mayo.