EXCLUSIVE: Jimmy Carr wrapped up his four gigs at the Millenium Forum at the weekend with some wonderful words for the Derry crowd.
“Derry is always a great audience. They let you know if they like you or not,” he said of his local fans.
Carr’s Laughs Funny tour saw him do two 90+ minutes of non-stop jokes each night to almost a thousand fans in the Forum.
“The Belfast and Derry gigs are always pretty special. Really fun,” Carr said.
“I do love it around here, I’ve got friends from this neck of the woods. Terrific place.”
Jimmy Carr took time out from the gigs on Saturday to visit Muff in Donegal and celebrate his investment in the local drinks brand, Muff Liquor Company.
The UK comedian is a proud member of the ‘Muff Liquor Men’ – a group of celebrity investors backing the Irish craft spirits company based in the border village that shares the cheeky name.
Carr’s reasons for supporting the venture, he said, was “the promise of riches.”
“I was promised huge returns, like the gold rush.”
On a serious note, he said: “I’ve lost money on things that weren’t fun, this is fun. It’s booze. It’s very nice booze as well – vodka, gin and whiskey, there’s something for everyone. We’re now making poitín, what could be more fun?”
Jimmy Carr and Muff Liquor founder and CEO, Laura Bonner. Photo by Joe Dunne
The Muff Liquor Company was founded by Greencastle woman Laura Bonner, who was inspired by her grandfather Philip McClenaghan’s poitín-making heritage to create her own range of spirits from potatoes.
Carr, a whiskey drinker himself, joins an all-star list including Russell Crowe, Ed Sheeran, Ronan Keating, Nathan Carter, Ryan Tubridy who are supporting the brand’s expansion.
Jimmy Carr and Muff Liquor founder and CEO, Laura Bonner. Next week Laura Bonner will travel to the United States to oversee the rollout of the brand across the US market . Photo by Joe Dunne
Crowe, Keating and Tubridy visited another major event in the company’s new Donegal brand home in July.
On the company’s high-profile investors, CEO Laura Bonner said: “I couldn’t be more blessed to have the Muff Liquor Men. It’s great to show them our brand and what we are doing.”
Next on the agenda is breaking America, and Bonner is heading to Florida this month to do just that.
A shipment of 30,000 cases of Muff spirits has just been completed today for the US market, thanks to a new partnership with The Lucas Bols Company.
Bonner said: “Really exciting times ahead, US here we come!”
