Comedy behind prison walls

Comedy behind prison walls

Last week the Bohemian Foundation continued their outstanding community work with another trip inside the walls of Mountjoy Prison. 

On this occasion, the Foundation put on a comedy show for inmates featuring some of the nation’s top comedic talents with Joe Rooney, Eric Lalor, John Colleary and Danny O’Brien. The event was a rousing success and further goes to show that the work being done by the Bohemian Foundation, on behalf of the club, is inspiring the wider Dublin community to get involved with efforts of the Bohemian Foundation.

Speaking after taking part of the show and working with the Bohemian Foundation, Joe Rooney spoke of his immense pride of how the Foundation tackles tough social issues.

”This initiative is a really worthwhile thing to do, sometimes with charity you’re just going on runs or cycles to raise money. It’s much more satisfying if you’re involved face-to-face doing something with your time.”

”Prison shouldn’t just be for punishment, it should be there for rehabilitation and part of that should be that you’re a recognisable citizen and not just locked away and forgotten about. Integrating people back into society is the hardest and most important thing to do, along with breaking the cycle of repeatedly coming back to prison.”

Lifting them up

John Colleary, who is also a Director with the Bohemian Foundation, spoke about his delight with how the work of the Foundation is impacting inmates.

”If you can, open them up to something that’s progressive rather than all the negativity they’ve already come up against. There were one or two guys in particular, in the early groups we did, that were a few years into a sentence and weren’t well. They couldn’t get to grips with their situation but ever since then these lads have come to gigs with big smiles on their faces and they’re all doing better.

”I’d like to think that the Foundation had something to do with that. That’s the key, getting people to face up to where they are and moving them on and being positive and lifting them up.”

Finally, after the gig actor and comedian Eric Lalor discussed how much pride he takes, as a lifelong Bohemians supporter, from all the community work of the Foundation.

”I’m very proud of the fact that my club, Bohs, are so involved in the community and all these brilliant initiatives they’re involved – and we’ve only briefly touched on this one.

”There are so may things that this club puts on for the community. I love the fact that we’re out in the community and that we’re more than a football club, that we are willing to get out there and reach out and I think that will stand us in good stead in the future.”

Bohemian Foundation President, Thomas Hynes, would like to thank all the artists who took part in the show, in addition to the Irish Prison Service and Deputy Governor Donnacha Walsh who helped organising this event and he eagerly anticipates more shows in the future.