An agency of the Galway diocese has declined an offer by controversial comedian Tommy Tiernan of a donation from the proceeds of a 36-hour comedy show marathon he is conducting over Easter. The Galway Youth Diocesan Services, which helps disadvantaged young people, had initially accepted the comedian’s offer but more recently decided to decline the money.
But the GDYS board reviewed the matter when it became apparent to it that the show would begin on Good Friday.
In a statement, it said it had decided that “on further reflection and given the diocesan patronage of GDYS it was felt that it was not appropriate for the organisation to be associated with a comedy show on this, the most solemn day in the Christian calendar”.
Mr Tiernan, who hopes the marathon will enter the Guinness Book of Records, said he was surprised and “saddened” by the decision to turn down the donation.
He confirmed that the 36-hour show would commence at 3pm on Good Friday and end at dawn on Easter Sunday morning.
He said he would still donate the proceeds to the group’s drop-in centre in Augustine Street in Galway city as the cause of disadvantaged young people was close to his heart.
The Galway Diocesan Youth Service was set up thirty years ago by an Augustinian priest.
The bishop is the organisation’s patron and both he and the Augustinian order have representatives on the board.
Initially, the Service got the majority of its funds from the diocese but now, it is also backed by the local Vocational Education Committee and the Department of Education.
Diocese spokesman Fr Seán McHugh said that the decision not to take the money from the comedy marathon was “no reflection on Tommy Tiernan”.
“From a Church point of view, we would have to comment on anything that might happen on Good Friday and the fact that the diocese is mentioned as a beneficiary meant it had to comment on the comedy show,” he explained.
“If there were a football tournament on Good Friday that the diocese would have benefited from, comment would have been passed on it as well,” he added.
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(Source: CIN)