Comic's record bid is all about timing

But timing will be everything if he wants the last laugh.

Irish funny man Sean Hegarty, 27, is shaving seconds off his side-splitters to lay down a marker as the fastest quick-fire comedian.

The rising star, who is booked for a run at the Fringe this year, intends to deliver 550 jokes in one hour - enough to steal the crown from Australian record-holder Anthony Lehmann, aka Lehmo, who set the bar at 549 in 2005.

That equates to delivering a gag every nine seconds.

In a deliberate scheduling of high drama, he has planned his record-breaking attempt to take place on the final day of the Fringe at The Globe Bar in Niddry Street.

He said: "I came up with this idea a year-and-a-half ago when I watched Lehmo breaking the record and thought why can't I step it up a gear and really test myself by trying this?

"I've chosen Edinburgh to attempt the record because it's probably the biggest comedy festival in the world."

In keeping with the rules, Hegarty will be permitted to carry up to ten cue cards but plans to commit to memory up to 1000 jokes.

"The difficulty lies in maintaining speed, for me every joke has to get a laugh and that's going to be the hard thing. I have a lot of jokes which are 'groaners' so I'm trying to turn them round so they are funnier.

"It's going to be a proper show so I want to mix it up for the audience because no-one wants to see someone standing there just reeling off jokes, so I'll probably throw in a few props and use a bit of music to break it up a little."

Asked if he fancied his chances of clinching the record, Mr Hegarty said: "If I can keep the jokes to around five seconds then it gives the audience a few seconds to laugh and then keep rattling them out.

"Obviously I want to make a name for myself and I'm trying to get to the next stage in my career but I would rather the audience had a good show and I got close to the record than broke it and left everyone wanting."

SEAN'S QUICK-FIRE GAGS

My New Year's Resolution is to stop living life in the fast lane. It's costing me over 100 a day on petrol.

I had a fight with an amnesia sufferer. Let's just say I taught him a lesson he'll never remember.

I bought Bonnie Tyler's car last year on eBay. It's awful though . . . every now and then it falls apart.

I told my brother that he looked like one of the Gladiators - he had a face like Thunder.

My mate always tells me off for getting my sayings mixed up, but you know me . . . it's like water off a cat's ear.