1
O'Doherty's original ambition was to follow his father into the world of jazz music but he realised quite quickly (with his dad's critical words ringing in his ears: 'you can't polish a turd') that it wasn't really for him. He does credit his old man for getting him into comedy, though, via tapes of Monty Python and Lenny Bruce.

2
For a while, the Dubliner was consumed with the idea of being the most popular David O'Doherty on the internet but faced stiff opposition from a mathematician who discovered one of the highest ever prime numbers, a human rights barrister and a classical violinist. These days, he's doing alright, Google search engine-wise.

3
He co-wrote 100 Facts About Pandas with Mike Ahern and Claudia O'Doherty (no relation, weirdly), which featured all-true bits of knowledge such as these: a panda can outrun a cheetah when moving backwards and that when woven into a fabric, panda fur is bulletproof.

4
The DO'D won the So You Think You're Funny prize in 1999 (seeing off Russell Howard and Josie Long on the night) and in 2006, he scooped the if.comedy Edinburgh award, leaving the shortlisted likes of Russell Kane and Rhod Gilbert shaking their fists in his wake.

5
In 2007, he recorded a song called 'Orange' with the aim that it would make him a minor pop sensation. His target was the number 27 slot on the Irish charts. Launched at an Oxfam shop in Dublin, it eventually reached number 30.

Alternative Comedy Experience, The Stand, Edinburgh, Mon 8 Jul.