ARTHUR MATTHEWS

Arthur Mathews is an award-winning writer of television and radio programmes, books and cartoons. His television work includes the sitcoms Paris for Channel 4 in 1994*, Father Ted for Channel 4, 1995-1998* and Hippies for BBC 2 in 1999; Big Train for BBC 2 in 1998* and 2002; The All New Alexei Sayle Show for BBC 2 from 1995-96*; Brass Eye for Channel 4 from 1996-1997*; Harry Enfield and Chums for BBC 1 in 1997*; and The Fast Show for BBC 2 from 1995- 1997*. His radio work includes Luneen Live for RTE in 2001; The Griff Rhys Jones Show for BBC Radio 2 in 2001 and Belfast Festival Short Stories for BBC Radio 4 in 2004. He is working on a film, Fun*, in development with Film 4. He has written three books: The Craggy Island Parish Newsletters in 1998*; Father Ted: The Complete Scripts in 1999*; and Well- Remembered Days in 2001. His cartoons include Doctor Crawshaft’s World of Pop in NME from 1992-1993, and The Chairman in Observer Sport Monthly, from 2003-04. He turned his back on football management after his application to manage Manchester United was unanimously declined.

* co-written with Graham Linehan.

MICHAEL NUGENT

Michael Nugent is a bestselling writer. His most recent book, Absurdly Yours: the Michael Nugent Letters is a series of prank letters to famous people and the real-life replies he received. His first book in 1993, Dear John:
the John Mackay Letters, with Sam Smyth, was a number one Christmas bestseller. In 1994 he wrote Dear Me with Sam and Arthur Mathews. In 1995 his Ireland on the Internet: the Definitive Guide (“probably the best book about the Net we’ve seen”, said web developers Adnet) led to six years work as an Internet consultant. He returned to writing in 2003 with another Christmas bestseller, That’s Ireland: A Miscellany, with Damien Corless, followed by Absurdly Yours in 2004 and now the stage musical I, Keano. Michael has also served time as a designer, a political and social campaigner, a daytime-television-watching idler, a DIT graduate and an incurable supporter of Bohemians and Leeds United. In 1986 he applied to manage the Ireland football team, citing as qualifications his three games for Willow Park Wanderers Under-11 side, but Jack Charlton got the job. His website is at www.michael-nugent.com.

PAUL WOODFULL

Paul Woodfull is a comedy writer, performer and musician. In 1988, with Arthur Mathews, he formed U2 parody band The Joshua Trio, riding a donkey into the Baggot Inn, appearing on British and Irish TV and selling out London’s Marquee and Dublin’s Olympia. In 1989 Paul created the musical comedy act Tony St James and, in the early 90s, with his brother Kieran, formed The Glam Tarts and Abbaesque, who headlined The Point on New Year’s Eve 1998. In the late 1990s Paul created Ding Dong Denny O’Reilly, a parody of republican ballad groups. Ding Dong sang his song Flow River Flow in Roddy Doyle’s When Brendan Met Trudy and a live performance was filmed for RTE’s 2004 hour-long Christmas Special Ding Dong Merrily On High. Paul has played Martin Gaffney, The End’s martial arts instructor, and DJ Gary on 2FM’s Saturday Show. He co-wrote RTE Radio 1’s Luneen Live and BBC 2’s This is Ireland, and wrote for BBC 2’s Big Train. In 2004 Paul co-wrote with Paul Tylak the RTE 2 comedy sketch series Stew, which received critical praise as well as proving popular with viewers. They have since been commissioned to write a second series.