Editorial: Irish comic learns gag is on him

Ed Byrne is coming to town - and he can only talk to Fairfax.

We'd have loved to have brought you some wit, pith and comedic insight from Ed Byrne - the Irish comedian performing in Whangarei on Anzac Day.

But Byrne can't talk to us.

Are we pithed off?

Not at all, trying to broker a deal to talk to Byrne has had its own comedic value.

Initially, his Auckland-based media minders were open to the Advocate talking to him. Only because they thought the Advocate was a Fairfax publication. The Northern Advocate is an NZME. publication.

Mistaking the Advocate for a Fairfax publication is a bit like confusing Ford for Toyota.

Anyway, Byrne is tied to an exclusive media deal with Fairfax. End of story. In the Advocate, anyway. Which mildly devastated the Irish journalist who works for the Advocate (NZME.) and had been looking forward to interviewing her countryman.

In recent years Byrne has been one of the most successful comedians to come out of Ireland. He's climbed mountains - metaphorical and real ones (he's a keen outdoorsman) to get where he is today, and is performing at the NZ International Comedy Festival in Auckland. While here, he's taking his show on the road.

It's a shame we couldn't talk to him. We'd have thanked him for coming.

Whangarei is hardly a frequent stopover for international comedians. Although Alan Davies did so in 2013. Only though, as he openly admitted, because the English cricket team was playing here. Perhaps Byrne's visit coincides with an Irish sporting event. We don't know. It's not something you're going to read in the Northern Advocate any time soon.

We wooed, but no wit, sorry. Ed's taken the pith and run off to Fairfax.