Tommy Tiernan has divided opinion with a new policy which prohibits audience member from using their mobile phones during his stand-up comedy shows.
The rule came to light recently and Galway Beo reports that it came about following a confrontation with an audience member at a gig in Galway.
Tiernan is currently in the middle of an extensive Irish tour which takes him to counties and cities all over the country.
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The comedian, who is no stranger to making headlines, split opinion with his new ban on mobile phones at his gigs which was reportedly implemented after a number of disruptions during shows, particularly one which occurred during a gig in November, when Tiernan was performing at Leisureland in Salthill.
One eye-witness told Galway Beo that on that occasion, the entertainer stopped the show and confronted a member of the audience who was using his phone.
They said: "Tommy was in the middle of a hilarious skit and he stopped and he shouted out at an audience member saying: 'Hey, hello, yeah you fella in the [colour] jacket. You see when you're recording on your phone like that and the light is on, it means everyone is looking at you and not at the stage. You're distracting everyone, cut it out and just enjoy the show like everyone else'. Which was met with a huge round of applause."
Tiernan's new rule means that audience members at his shows are now provided with Yondr phone pouches - special cases that create phone-free spaces for performers. The cases are locked throughout the performance and then unlocked at the end of the show, though attendees who require their phone for medical or emergency purposes will be allowed a special wristband.
Tiernan is not the first comedian to utilise Yondr boxes at his shows as a number of American comics such as Dave Chappelle, Amy Schumer, Hannibal Buress and Chris Rock popularised the practice in recent years.
Tiernan has suffered something of a recent ratings blow for his weekly interview show on RTE, having lost out on more than 60,000 viewers last weekend, according to figures released by the national broadcaster.
On Saturday, Tommy had an average of 336,000 tuning in – a 62,000 drop from the 398,000 who tuned in the previous week.
But an insider said Tiernan’s unique take on a chat show is still doing "really well for halfway through the series" with 35 per cent of the available audience on Saturday nights tuning in to his show.
The 53-year-old returns to our screens on Saturday night for the latest Tommy Tiernan Show, where the host does not know who his guests will be until they arrive on the stage.
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