Byline: Michael Ross

The humorist Noel V Ginnity tells Michael Ross he is glad to be out of step with the cruel and profane approach of his young rivals

Unbidden, Noel V Ginnity makes a few things clear as soon as the tape recorder is switched on. He has had a long and fruitful life. He has no regrets. Any harm he has done, he has done it to himself. He is not jealous of modern comedians. He has issues with them, but he is not jealous of them.

In the short pause that follows, in the busy morning hubbub of the Burlington hotel's lobby lounge, a question suggests itself - an obvious and reasonably innocuous question, but one that triggers voluble, foam-flecked anger. Did he happen to see Tommy Tiernan's recent appearance on The Late Late Show?

"Very smart man, highly skilled operator, but he doesn't need it," says Ginnity. "You don't have to laugh at other people to make yourself look big. I met Tommy Tiernan once and I have nothing against the guy. You can use the f word and the c-word, but leave the unfortunate out of it."

It's not nice for paraplegics in the National Rehabilitation hospital to be made fun of, he says, referring to one of several relatively powerless groups targeted by Tiernan in his unfunny, scattergun performance.

"There is nothing funny about having Down syndrome," adds Ginnity loudly. "Those kids don't know they're being laughed at; their parents know they're being laughed at and it's not good. It's social bullying with a microphone."

Behind Ginnity, the lobby quietens noticeably as eyes swivel in our direction. Less than two minutes into the interview, one finds oneself in the unusual position of wanting to explain to dozens of strangers that one was not making fun of children with Down syndrome.

"There's nothing cutting-edge about that," barks Ginnity with contempt. "There's nothing pushing the envelope about that. That's all modern nonsense and the sooner people realise that it's a con job, the better. Kids today get nothing but filth and dirt that these fellas pump at them. What's cutting-edge about that Katherine Lynch on RTE? I've never heard such language. It's scandalous, scurrilous stuff. It's in jail she should be."

A man rises from a seat 20ft away, walks over and greets Ginnity warmly. "I didn't recognise you," the man says, "but I recognised the voice."

It's a...