"Have you noticed the Bermuda Triangle itself seems to have disappeared?" mused Ardal from his plinth.

"Ever wondered how many insects you'd find under Ayres Rock?"

The surrealist remarks of everyone's favourite stupid priest/superhero were funny enough and yet, in true Peter Kay-style, Ardal's greatest strengths lie in spot-on observational humour. Why do we leave electrical appliances on for a fortnight to confuse potential burglars? Is Brian May the housesitter at the helm of that token hairdryer?

While Ardal may be more famous for his small-screen roles, this is certainly not one of those embarrassing forays onto the stage that less talented TV comics sometimes make.

He is the sort of stand-up who incises your funny bone to purge the sort of gut-contorting laughter that makes you feel good for hours after.

Warm and witty, he was particularly attentive to the locality of his crowd, 'Warrington-ifying' his set to great effect.

Touted in Ireland as the 1,000-1 dark horse in the race for the Pope's mitre, Ardal's Father Dougal Maguire persona is never far from him; and when he obligingly led a singalong rendition of My Lovely Horse, the Father Ted faithful were in raptures.

Michelle Corbett