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From Conan to Fallon

Debbie McGoldrick

IrishCentral.com Staff Writer

Published Tuesday, March 10, 2009, 4:10 PM

Updated Thursday, July 23, 2009, 5:55 PM

Read more: Jimmy Fallon, Ireland

Will the luck of the Irish strike again in the battle to snare late-night TV viewers? NBC sure hopes so, as they've named one Irish American comic, Jimmy Fallon, to replace another, Conan O'Brien, who's jumping into Jay Leno's highly successful chair at the network's flagship franchise, The Tonight Show.

Fallon will take over Conan's Late Night 12:30 a.m. gig, which he inherited from another late-night legend, David Letterman, in 1993. It took Conan a while to find his footing, not to mention an audience, for his brand of Late Night, but he persevered and impressed his NBC bosses to such an extent that they chucked Leno from his slot to give it to Conan.

James Thomas Fallon, as his name indicates, certainly qualifies as Irish. He's got a younger sister who he's called his "Irish twin" because of their closeness in age - he's 33, she's a year younger - and he's certainly made reference to his roots during his stint as a six-year member of the cast of Saturday Night Live, which ended in 2004.

Fallon played a recurring character called Patrick Fitzwilliam, host of a TV show called "Top O' the Morning" on "Ireland's other network, RET 2," (like RTE 2 in Ireland, get it!) with his colleague William Fitzpatrick. (SNL cast member Seth Myers was the guy charged with playing him.)

The comedy sometimes played to the stereotype. "Today's show is brought to you by Ireland's #1 remedy for female sexual dysfunction . . . men have Viagra, finally.. there's something for women - Jameson's Irish Whiskey. Gets you in the mood every time!" That's was from a 2002 skit that featured Salma Hayek. (Thank God for the website that publishes old SNL transcripts!)

Fallon was also host of the popular SNL staple "Weekend Update," and he did a pretty funny pre-St. Patrick's Day riff in 2002.

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As the Irish people have a genuine sense of fun, Irish entertainment can be found in every town, village, city and county. One of the most popular forms is the festival, which is used to celebrate all sorts of occasions &emdash; everything from literary pursuits to a love of oysters. Here are a few highlights of entertainment in Ireland throughout the year: Londonderry boasts the biggest Halloween Festival in the world with around 30,000 celebrating the ancient Celtic New Year every October. Grab a dodgy mask and join the party! / The Belfast Festival at Queen’s is Ireland’s biggest International Festival and boasts an eclectic mix of music, talks, comedy, exhibitions and film. / The Galway Races, the Rose of Tralee Festival, Puck Fair in Killorglin, and the Oul’ Lammas Fair in Ballycastle are world famous and offer a great chance to enjoy Irish entertainment, life and laughs with the locals. / Food festivals are now a big draw in Ireland with local produce scoring high among international foodies. Head to the famous oyster festivals in Clarenbridge in Galway, or Hillsborough, County Down. / Tune in to a spot of music with the Open House Festival in Belfast, the Waterford International Festival of Light Opera, or the Feile an Phobail in west Belfast. Or grab a pint and tap your feet to some cool tunes at the Guinness Cork Jazz Festival. / If you prefer your festivals small and intimate, try the harp festivals in Roscommon or the rough and ready horse and pony fairs from Cavan to Cork. Even today, the horses are priced in guineas, and bought and sold with a spit in the hand. / At the other end of the scale of entertainment in Ireland lies the Wexford Opera Festival with full-scale opera productions, concerts, recitals, talks, cabaret, fireworks, and, of course, parties. / For something a little different, try the Magnus Barelegs Festival in Downpatrick offering a slice of Viking life, or the Eagle Wing Festival in Groomsport, County Down, which celebrates Ireland’s cultural links with America. / Theater fans should head to Dublin for both the Dublin Theatre Festival and the excellent Dublin Fringe Festival, with wildly exciting performances taking place in fabulous venues. / Around March 17, the country turns a shade of green for a host of St Patrick’s Festivals. All over the country, from the Saint’s hallowed burial place in Downpatrick to the more carnival atmosphere of parades and exceptional fireworks in Dublin and Belfast. / Literary lovers should head to Dublin in June for the intriguing Bloomsday Festival, where fans of Joyce’s Gargantuan Ulysses dress up in traditional gear and scoff old Dublin food like “nutty gizzards” and “urine-soaked kidneys”. Alternatively, seek out the delights of the Aspects Literature Festival in Bangor in September, an annual celebration of Irish literature with lectures, discussion and music. But festivals are just one aspect of Irish entertainment—let's not forget about music! From impromptu sessions in your local bar to the thrilling beat of U2, Ireland has always been home to the best sounds of music. Ireland’s massive successes in the Irish entertainment world include some bands and artists you may have heard of…U2, The Corrs, Enya, Westlife, Snow Patrol, Ash, David Holmes, Van Morrison and The Thrills, to name just a few. Unique and distinctive, the harp holds a special place in Irish entertainment and has come to symbolize the harmony of people and music in Ireland. It’s the earliest musical instrument mentioned in Irish literature and has been used as an official emblem for Ireland since medieval times. Today, it’s on Irish passports and stamps. But there's more: Fleadhs, or festivals, are a major part of Irish entertainment as well as cultural life, and impromptu trad sessions have become the stuff of legend at West Belfast’s Feile an Phobail, the Galway Racing Festival or Kerry’s Puck Fair. Rock and dance music festivals are also big news with the Oxegen Festival, Tennents Vital Belfast and the Electric Picnic held in summer.

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