
James Young
'James Young' (
1918 -
July 5 1974), also known as 'Jimmie Young', was a comedian born in
Ballymoney,
Northern Ireland and brought up in
Belfast.
He performed both on the
stage and on
television, as well as selling over a quarter of a million records. His stage shows are most closely associated with the
Group Theatre, where his show gained a listing in the
Guinness Book of Records as the longest running in the world. He also toured extensively across
Ireland,
Canada and the
United States.
He is best remembered for the characters in his sketches, which uniquely reflected the character of the people of Belfast. These included "Orange Lil", "
Cherryvalley Lady", and "Derek the Window Cleaner" from the
BBC Radio Ulster series ''The McCooeys''. He was also one of the first comedians to confront
the Troubles in his material, while still appealing to both sides of the divided community.
A
blue plaque in his memory is displayed at his family's home in Belfast's Ballynafeigh.
Memorable lines
"We have no rates in Cherryvalley. No rates ... only mice."
"Today I got my period... great"
"Get yer gutties on we're goin' to Bangor!"
"Do us a favour, will yez - stop yer fightin'!"
"I wan' a ring ... a round ring!"
"What's the deal with airline food? Huh? Huh?"
External links
★
''The Vacuum'' article on James Young