#2572 - Colum Tyrrell

Colum Tyrrell said he moved to New York after visiting at 19, drawn by its range of activities and the possibility of finding a community. He had performed comedy in Ireland for about two years before moving to the United States in 2014. Ireland’s comedy scene was small, he said, with many shows staged in converted rooms above bars rather than dedicated clubs. A strong set could feel triumphant, while a bomb could be especially painful. Tyrrell’s appearance on Kill Tony brought unusually wide attention, including messages from relatives he had not spoken with in years.

Tyrrell said he wanted to do comedy at 16 but did not learn about open mics until roughly six years later. His special, Bells and Whistles, was filmed at New York Comedy Club and released on YouTube. He said comics must build new material after a special, and that developing a bit can take a long time. Repeating a joke can make it feel scripted, so he sometimes changes the wording to keep it conversational, even if the altered version is weaker. He also praised Patrice O’Neal’s ability to give the same jokes different forms in different performances.

Tyrrell described Ireland’s cultural strengths as poetry, singing, dancing, plays, writing, and conversation, joking that the country had neglected finance. He said Irish conversation often turns to death and hardship, and speculated that this tendency may relate to the famine. The discussion cited about 1 million deaths from starvation and disease between 1845 and 1852, and roughly 2 million emigrants between 1845 and 1855, attributing the disaster to potato blight compounded by poverty, dependence on one crop, and British government policies. Tyrrell also described Dublin nightlife and a strong drinking culture, while noting that his accent thickens when he returns to Ireland.

Tyrrell wants to hike Yellowstone’s Thoroughfare alone, a remote area described as 40 miles from a road in any direction, with an eight-day route and grizzlies, wolves, elk, and possibly moose. He said solo backpacking feels therapeutic because a lack of phone signal lets him focus on walking and basic tasks. He has previously hiked established routes such as the Appalachian Trail, where campsites and bear-safety rules are in place; another speaker raised the additional risks of going alone and mentioned satellite communication and bear spray. The discussion also warned that moose can charge or stomp people they consider too close, especially when calves are present, and that people seeking wildlife selfies can approach animals dangerously.

The speakers discussed hunting as one way to manage wildlife populations where predators are scarce, while noting that winter die-offs and starvation also reduce numbers. A speaker said Utah’s mule deer population fell by about 70% in one winter, leading to fewer hunting tags the following year. The discussion described the 1937 Pittman-Robertson Act as directing excise-tax revenue toward conservation, habitat restoration, hunter safety, game wardens, and research. It cited taxes of 11% on sporting firearms, ammunition, and archery equipment and 10% on handguns, generating $800 million to $1.2 billion annually, with roughly 73–74% of revenue coming from non-hunters buying firearms and ammunition.

Tyrrell and Rogan distinguished recreational gambling from risks associated with phone-based betting, arguing that apps can encourage repeated wagers and rapid losses; they acknowledged that gambling does not harm everyone and that people who gamble responsibly should be free to do so. They also discussed the effects of constant online exposure to graphic violence and bad news, and concerns about connected devices collecting information. One speaker alleged that an older version of TikTok’s terms allowed access to other computers on the same network and potentially passwords, keystrokes, and microphones, but said he did not know whether those terms remained in effect.

The conversation turned to media ownership, pharmaceutical advertising, and Donald Trump’s attacks on Bill Maher. Speakers argued that advertising relationships may discourage news outlets from criticizing pharmaceutical companies, while one clarified that the claim that drug ads chiefly protect networks was an argument made by Cali Means and others, not his own conclusion. Trump called Maher a “complete and total loser” and accused him of bias and spreading “fake news”; the speakers suggested Maher’s comments about Trump’s Republican support may have prompted the post. They also discussed Trump’s crypto interests as a potential perceived conflict of interest. A federal civil lawsuit dated October 22, 2026, alleges he benefited from a $500 million purchase of a 49% stake in World Liberty Financial and a $2 billion purchase of its USD stablecoin; those are transaction amounts, not established personal profits, and the suit seeks disclosure and return of allegedly unlawful profits.