Kevin McGahern from Gowna, host of RTE's 'Republic of Telly'.

Gowna comedian nominated for IFTA award

Gowna’s very own funnyman, Kevin McGahern, has been nominated for an award by the Irish Film and Television Academy (IFTA), writes Ultan Sherry.
The host of RTE 2’s 'The Republic of Telly’, Kevin has been shortlisted in the Gala Retail Rising TV star category along with five others. These include Angela Scanlon, Vogue Williams, Maire Threasa Ni Dhubhghaill, Al Porter and Darren Kennedy.
“It feels great to be recognised by your peers and to be nominated for an award,” Kevin told the Celt this week. “I’ve been receiving Facebook messages from cousins and friends in Cavan, wishing me the best of luck.”
Kevin has always had an interest in television, having worked in film and animation in college and then doing various sketches in comedy, leading him to TV.
“I started off firstly in 'Hardy Bucks’ and then got a few sketches on 'Republic’. Then someone asked me if I wanted to audition for host (of Republic of Telly),” Kevin explained.
McGahern has been hosting the show for the last three years now, and is enjoying the role to the fullest. “You get to work with really funny people and I don’t think I could go back to a normal office job,” he remarked.
The show, for those who have never seen it, is a review show that looks back at the events of the last week in Ireland and comprises various sketches around that. Some Cavan acts have featured on the show too over the years such as jazz group 'Blutack and the Greenhorns’.
Kevin naturally is humbled to have been selected for the award shortlist and thanked those who have supported him down through the years. “I’d like to thank the people of Cavan for the support they have given to the arts by going to the theatre and all the gigs that have been on, and the family and friends back in Gowna as well,” he told this reporter.

Public vote
The award Kevin has been nominated for is being decided by the public vote this year and voting commenced at 9am this morning.
Kevin will need all the support he can get and has made this appeal to the people of Cavan: “I plan to undo the damage that has been done to the Cavanman. The Cavanman reputation has been completely tarnished over the last couple of years. We have an outrageous reputation as being tight and as unintelligent and I propose to completely reverse that trend. I’m going to make Cavan great again. The future is Blue.”
To vote, you must go to the website www.facebook.com/GalaRetail and follow the link http://bit.ly/2cBiB5d to cast your vote for free.
The Gala TV Rising Star award will be presented at this year’s annual IFTA Gala Television Awards Ceremony, which takes place on Friday, October 7, at the Double Tree Hotel in Dublin and will be broadcast on TV3.