[2][3] Cat Laughs was envisioned in 1994 by Lynn Cahill who ran Bickerstaffe theatre company in Kilkenny.
As a means to expand the companies programme, she considered with her business partner that Kilkenny was great for a festival.
[1] For the first two editions, no Irish comedian closed the festival due to the audience preferring British comics.
[1] Many comedians from the UK and Ireland have attended including; Dara Ó Briain, Ed Byrne and Eddie Izzard.
[6][7] Some notable names in stand-up, like David O'Doherty, have gone from audience member to headliner over the festival's history.