Entertainment Architects – Music PR Ireland

SORCHA O’FLANAGAN, DIRECTOR: COMEDY@EA

Sorcha has worked in PR for over 16 years. She started out in Hot Press as a receptionist and quickly moved on to Warner Music Ireland where she took on her first PR role. She was involved with major Warner artists including Madonna, Enya, Red Hot Chilli Peppers and REM. She also ran successful PR campaigns for many home-grown acts including Picturehouse and The Corrs.

In 2001 Sorcha was head-hunted by Aiken Promotions to work as PR for the newly launched Vicar Street venue. She spent 10 years working at the venue, during which time Sorcha has publicised numerous live concerts for prestigious artists such as Bob Dylan, Justin Timberlake, Neil Young and Paul Simon.

Over the year’s Vicar Street developed as Ireland’s premiere comedy venue and this is where Sorcha found her niche, producing PR campaigns for hundreds of comedy acts including Tommy Tiernan’s record breaking 170 sell out nights. Des Bishop, Dara O’Briain, Jason Byrne, PJ Gallagher and Dylan Moran have all spent time on the media trail with Sorcha, as well as world renowned comedians Joan Rivers, Jackie Mason, Tim Minchin, Jimmy Carr and many more.

In 2004, Sorcha was Artist Liaison and Stage Manager for The Comedy Tent at the first ever Electric Picnic and her involvement continued for 3 years, working directly with all participating Irish and international comedians.

In 2007 Sorcha was invited to work at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival for Edcom, where she handled publicity for the Irish artists taking part including Jarlath Regan, Neil Delamere, Maeve Higgins and David O’Doherty. In the same year, Sorcha worked alongside Aiken’s Bren Berry in setting up the inaugural Comedy Festival at Dublin’s Iveagh Gardens. The festival has run for five years, culminating in this year’s Vodafone Comedy Festival. The festival has been both a critical and commercial success and has become one of the leading comedy festivals on the world circuit, attracting all the key names in comedy.

2011 is a brand new start for Sorcha, as she takes the independent road, as director of Comedy@EA, the specialist comedy PR arm of Entertainment Architects.

Sorcha is an avid skier and used to own a pony.

sorcha@ealtd.ie