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This week sees the start of the world's best little comedy festival, and what makes it so special is that it still feels like a pub lock-in. Kilkenny's Cat Laughs has become such a cherished institution, it's hard to believe it's been up and running for just nine years. Friendly and informal, with no prizes and scant publicity, it's everything Edinburgh used to be and isn't any more - and in less than a decade, it's won a worldwide reputation as the place where the best comics want to play. Partly it's the location - Ireland's pretty medieval capital has a castle and two cathedrals, but the lush rolling countryside is only a short walk out of town. Partly it's the brevity - it barely lasts more than a bank holiday weekend. But most of all, it's the intimacy - merely a handful of ad hoc venues, most of which feel more like speakeasies than theatres. No wonder it always attracts top US stand-ups, such as Will Durst and Dom Irrera (pictured), as well as homegrown wags such as Tommy Tiernan, Dara O'Briain and Deirdre O'Kane.