13th July update: Due to production conflict in Los Angeles, Patton Oswalt has had to regretfully cancel his shows in Galway. The festival says: "We are trying to re-schedule the shows with Patton for next year's festival or sooner if his schedule allows. In the meantime full refunds are available from point of purchase."

Galway has already been mentioned a lot this year, thanks to that hit song by Ed Sheeran. However, the city in West Ireland is likely to be talked about even more now that the first headliners for its 2017 comedy festival have been announced.

The Vodafone Comedy Carnival Galway 2017 is set to take place between Tuesday 24th and Monday 30th October, featuring a whole host of comedy stars.

Jon Richardson and Patton Oswalt are amongst the first headliners that have been announced today. Richardson will be familiar to everyone via his UK live tours and TV work, including as team captain on 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown. Meanwhile, those that watch US stand-up will be aware that Oswalt is one of America's biggest comedy stars and a exciting signing by the festival. The winner of the 2017 Grammy Award for best comedy album will also be known to TV audiences for playing Spence on The King Of Queens and to movie fans for his roles in films like Ratatouille and Zoolander.

Other headliners for the festival announced today include Katy Brand, Al Porter and Reginald D Hunter. Tickets for the shows from these comedians go on sale on Thursday 22nd June at 9am, ahead of the full festival line-up being announced on the 24th August.

Festival director Kevin Healy says: "We are revealing this first wave of acts earlier than usual because we are so excited about these exclusive shows that we couldn't keep them secret. We just know that comedy fans will want to get in early and get their plans in place to be front and centre at comedy central this October. The full festival programme will be revealed in late August and we guarantee that we have a amazing festival planned for you."

The 2017 festival looks set to cement Galway as one of the best comedy festivals to visit; a chance to combine comedy with some sightseeing. The harbour city is well known for its scenery and has won plaudits for being the world's friendliest city. It also holds the award for creating Ireland's best beer, and is now the designated European Capital Of Culture for 2020 too.

Situated on the West Coast of Ireland, it is a major tourist destination and so there are many well-developed transport options available, including daily flights from the UK, Europe, Middle East and North America.

The Vodafone Comedy Carnival Galway will take place between Tuesday 24th and Monday 30th October 2017. Early tickets are on sale from Thursday 22nd June at 9am, with the full line-up announced on the 24th August.

To find out more about the festival and its shows and comedians, and to see special accommodation deals, visit the official website: vodafonecomedycarnival.com