Dara O'Briain's private life and career: RTE beginnings, wife, children and home in London
Throughout the years, the Bray native has appeared on numerous comedy and TV shows across Ireland and the UK, including The Panel, Mock the Week and Don't Feed the Gondolas
One of Ireland’s most successful comedians and TV personalities, Dara Ó'Briain will join Patrick Kielty on stage this Friday.
The funnyman became a household name on Irish TV when he hosted Echo Island on RTÉ back in the 90s. Soon the Bray television personality went on to make waves in the UK, starring in the hugely popular Mock the Week on the BBC.
In his private life, Dara is married to his surgeon wife Susan and has three children, although he rarely speaks about his family. Currently living in West London, here is everything you need to know about Dara Ó'Briain.
Dara Ó'Briain’s early life and education
Dara was born on February 4, 1972, and he grew up in the town of Bray in County Wicklow. He went to secondary school in Coláiste Eoin before enrolling at University College Dublin.
Family life overseas
The comedian and personality married his beloved wife Susan back in 2006, with fellow Irish funnyman Ed Byrne taking up best man duties on the day.
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Susan is believed to be a surgeon and the couple have three kids together. Their first daughter was born in 2008 and they welcomed two sons in 2011 and 2015. While Ó Briain rarely opens up about his wife and children in interviews, he does speak about them in his stand-up comedy shows.
Dara shared that as an Irishman raising his children in England, he thinks it is important to allow them to create their own identity.
"They aren’t born with DNA crying to be back on the turf – it’s not in them," he told The Mirror.
“They’ll wear Ireland T-shirts and they’re very excited for Ireland and daddy when he is jumping up and down at the telly but they create their own identity and you have to let them do that.”
Opening up about being adopted
The comedian was told from an early age he was adopted. Growing up in Bray, Co Wicklow, he said he had a “fantastic relationship” with his parents and was very happy growing up.
He explains: “I come from an unbelievably content family background.
“Being adopted [for me] is a state of knowing you’re adopted, then it not being mentioned for ages. And then at a point in later life going, ‘Hang on, am I adopted?’
“I remember my father coming to London for lunch, and we had one of those conversations where you just clear the decks on everything.
“I told him, ‘I seem to remember knowing this’, and he said, ‘Yeah, but it’s not a secret. I quit telling you because, you know, why would you keep saying it?’ They were very supportive, it gets mentioned, but why would you bring it up all the time?”
Notable TV credits - RTÉ, BBC and Comedy Central
- The Panel
- Mock the Week
- Don't Feed the Gondolas
- Echo Island
- The Apprentice: You're Fired
- QI
- Dara O Briain's Go 8 Bit
- Three Men in a Boat
- Dara and Ed's Great Big Adventure
- Robot Wars
- Blockbusters
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