Pete McCarthy

Who was Pete McCarthy?

Pete McCarthy was an English comedian, radio and television presenter and travel writer. He was noted for his bestselling travel books McCarthy's Bar and The Road to McCarthy, in which he explored Ireland and the Irish diaspora around the world.

Born in Warrington, Lancashire to an English father and Irish mother, McCarthy spent much of his early life in his mother's homeland, developing a love for the country. After attending West Park Grammar School, he later decided to become a writer, studying English at Leicester University. After a brief stint as a teacher, he moved to Brighton, where he was involved in local art community projects and first involved himself in comedy, co-founding a comedy troup known as the Cliffhanger Theatre with Robin Driscoll, Martin McNicholas and Rebecca Stevens. Touring the country and winning various awards, they also produced two television shows for Channel 4.

Going solo, McCarthy began a career as a stand-up comic and comedy writer. After his success with The Hangover Show in 1990, he was employed to present a number of television and radio shows, including Desperately Seeking Something, Breakaway and Country Tracks. Turning his attention to travel writing, in 1998 he published McCarthy's Bar, which detailed his travels around Western Ireland. After it proved a critical and commercial success, he authored a second tome, The Road to McCarthy, based on his journeys through the Irish diaspora in the New York City, Montana, Alaska, Tasmania and Montserrat. A third book remained unfinished when he died of cancer in 2004.