Jimmy Carr has announced a tour of Ireland that avoids both Dublin and Belfast.

Instead, the UK comedian – one of the most popular figures of the past 20 years in British comedy – will play nine one-night stands in the provinces – a gesture which is sure to be appreciated by comedy fans all over Ireland.

‘The Best Of, Ultimate, Gold, Greatest Hits Tour’ will kick off in 16 March 2018, at The Opera House, Cork. The tour will take Carr as far north as Letterkenny in Donegal and – after a break of almost three months – concludes with a brace of dates in Leisureland, Galway (30 June) and INEC, Killarney (1 July).

As the title of the tour suggests, Jimmy is gathering a selection of his 'very best jokes' along with brand new material for what has been described as "the ultimate comedy show."

"Jimmy Carr’s new tour will distill everything we love to laugh at and be shocked by, into one incredible, unparalleled night of entertainment,” a spokesman said.

Jimmy Carr has been a regular on the stand-up scene for a decade and a half. During that time he has performed nine sell-out tours, playing nearly 2,000 shows to over two million people across four continents. He’s won the British Comedy Award for ‘Best Live Stand-Up Tour’ and been nominated for the Perrier Award. All of that experience will be brought to bear in the very best of Jimmy Carr.

Carr's decision to go provincial makes sense, given that both of his parents – Patrick and Nora – are from Limerick.

The full list of tour dates is as follows: 16 March, Opera House, Cork; 23 March Radisson Blu Hotel, Athlone; 24 March, National Opera House, Wexford; 25 March, Lyrath Hotel, Kilkenny; 6 April, Landmark Hotel, Carrick On Shannon; 7 April, Knocknarea Arena, Sligo; 8 April, Clanree Hotel, Letterkenny; 30 June, Leisureland, Galway; 1 July, INEC, Killarney. Tickets go on sale from Ticketmaster on Friday 6 October at 9am.