Jarlath Regan
He’s not my father. I’m an Irishman abroad and he’s back there and I don’t see him as much as I should, yet it ran me over like a train.
Born in 1980 and raised in Kildare, Ireland, Jarlath Regan worked as a graphic design consultant before changing careers to become a comedian. Performing stand-up from the age of 24, he has graced stages across the world, in countries such as the USA, Australia and the UAE. Having moved to London in 2013, he is the founder and host of podcast series An Irishman Abroad, which explores the experiences of Irish emigrants and individuals of Irish heritage. He is also a writer and illustrator, and the author of two advice books, How to Break Bad News: Greetings from the dark side and Putting a Ring on It: What not to do when attempting to get married.
In 2019, Jarlath’s uncle Lewis, an “Irish renaissance man” whose talents spanned poetry, art, writing and medicine, passed away of a heart attack. Jarlath was profoundly impacted by his death. He discusses his trouble coming to terms with this loss and his sense of not being “entitled” to grieve.
Even in the more evolved idea of masculinity that we have now, I didn’t feel like I had a green light to feel what I was feeling.