‘Jimmy Jests’ reveals his local roots ahead of Ringtown gig

The man who has been putting Longford on the comedy map with his viral video sketches clips as ‘Jimmy Jests’ – well, it turns out there’s a fair dollop of maroon and white running through his veins.

“I’m three quarters Westmeath,” says Jimmy, whose real name is Connell.

His father’s people came from Crowenstown, outside Delvin; his mother’s people were Jordans from Ballymore – and his wife, Cathy Gibbons, is from Castlepollard.

Jimmy is from Edgeworthstown, and from there, using Facebook and other social media platforms, he has built up the sort of profile that has made it possible for him to launch his first solo tour with his own show, ‘It’s A Turf Life’.

Lockdown

While the Covid lockdowns were when the Jimmy Jests videos began to really take off, it is around four years since Jimmy Jests was introduced to the world.

“It was just by chance: I was in the bog, and I was looking at the turf ahead of me, and I says ‘I have to make this a bit interesting’, so I did a funny video in the bog. I stuck it up on Facebook for a bit of craic and it went a little bit mad,” says Jimmy.

“I started to do them then just on different aspects of everyday life – the bog and farming and GAA and drinking and all that type of thing. And slowly but surely over the years it built a huge following and several of the videos have gone viral. So that’s where it all started.”

Then came Covid, which gave the series a shot in the arm.

“No one could go anywhere. Therefore a lot of people were just scrolling on their phones, bored and looking for an outlet. So I went live on a number of occasions on Facebook during that time and I did several videos. Like everyone else, I had more time to be doing them and developing them and coming up with more ideas, so it took off big time during Covid.”

Scripts

Remarkably, Jimmy tends not to script his sketches, coming up with ideas – usually tropical – and delivering his lines in an impromptu fashion.

The key, he says, is “to see a funny side of what’s happening in everyday life that people can relate to”.

“And,” he continues, “talking about what’s everyday. Just looking at it from a funny side.”

A recent hit video showed Jests as a dad reacting with disappointment to his daughter’s Leaving Cert results, and upset that they weren’t as good as some neighbour’s.

Some people didn’t realise it was a spoof: “Some people took it too seriously and thought that I was being cruel to my children – but my daughter didn’t even do the Leaving Cert!” he laughs.

Jimmy and Cathy have three children, aged 15, 13 and eight, and from time to time, one or other will lend their voices to a sketch. Jimmy keeps their faces off camera: “I never put them in the videos because I don’t think it’s appropriate to put them in.”

The kids take their now-famous dad’s online success in their stride: though they have been getting more of a kick out of his recent shift to live shows on stage.

Being on stage holds no fear for Jimmy: “I’m involved with the Mostrim Players and we put on plays regularly. Over the years, I always was involved with Scór and Community Games and variety acts. I was always on stage whenever I could get on stage. I love the stage.

“People wonder how you get up and do a stand-up show but I just enjoy it.”

Jimmy is currently touring with ‘It’s A Turf Life’, his debut solo show.

“There’s a variety of aspects: there’s songs in it, there’s chat, audience participation, so it’s not just me standing up for an hour and a half.

“I also try to bring something local or something topical in that happened during the week.”

He started in Legan two weeks ago, then did Limerick and Kerry – and he’s been booked for three days at the Ploughing Championships. As word has got out, the bookings have begun flooding in.

Locally, he is booked to appear at Ringtown GAA Club on September 23.