A charity comedy night will take place on February 1st 8.00pm in memory of a much-loved Dundalk comedian, the late Brenda Woods Finegan. It will be held on St Brigid’s Day in the Imperial Hotel, Dundalk, celebrating her life and her strong support of women in comedy. Performers are traveling from all over Ireland to support the evening.
The mother of two, who passed away last year, was a talented teacher, writer and performer who was passionate about encouraging women to find their voice on the comedy stage. She was widely known for championing female comedians and creating welcoming, supportive spaces where new talent could grow.
She also founded a creative writing school for children and adults, combining her love of storytelling with fundraising for charities including PAWS and Louth SPCA . The comedy night will honour her legacy with her family with an evening of laughter, warmth and community — reflecting her belief that comedy should be inclusive, empowering and full of heart.
Father Ted star and Louth native Patrick McDonnell, pictured above, will headline the night, along with Show Me The Funny winner Ashlee Bentley. Patrick, best known for his role as Eoin McLove in Father Ted, is currently starring in RTE show The Unreal while Ashlee featured in Virgin Media’s The Craic Den Comedy Club TV show.
Support acts include Dundalk residents Elizabeth Redmond and Shinanne Higgins, as well as Louise O’Toole, Diane O’Connor and Angela Mullin. MC Ciaran McMahon will host the night.
The gig is organised by legendary comedy booker Anthony Ferns, who ran Dublin’s famous Battle of the Axe comedy and open mic show for 30 years, where comics including Fred Cooke and Allison Spittle took to the mic for the first time. Brenda assisted in producing Battle of the Axe including it’s online shows on Culture Night in the past.
Anthony says of Brenda: “She was a true friend to our club, performing herself, and always a welcoming, warm presence to both new acts and seasoned performers. She was always helping out in the background with admin and promotion. Offstage, she spoke with such pride for her family. Brenda is a huge loss.” All profits from the night will be donated to local charities by her family.
Tickets on sale on Eventbrite: Special Comedy /Charity Night: In loving memory of Brenda Woods Finegan Tickets, Sun, Feb 1, 2026 at 8:00 PM | Eventbrite
