During an episode of the Late Late Show on RTÉ, Irish-American humorist, Conan O’Brien, was encouraged to mock Irish pronunciation, to which he reacted by stating, “I wonder why that language went away”. This resulted in the national broadcaster, RTÉ, being criticised for turning Irish names into a joke. O’Brien shared during this interview that his visit to Ireland was to film an episode for his travel show on HBO Max, named “Conan O’Brien Must Go”.
The entire episode involves O’Brien’s rather clichéd exploration of Irish culture, such as his confusion regarding black pudding and his rendition of Danny Boy. Among these adventures, O’Brien also appears in the Gaelic soap opera Ros Na Rún on TG4, earning a cameo as a balloon distributor credited as “Fear na mBalún”.
A few minutes into this half-hour segment, he becomes the newest famous figure to star on the soap opera, following the likes of Stephen Fry and Nathan Carter. His part plays out broadly as he attempts to deliver balloons for a charity event; however, the surly bartender Tadhg Ó Direáin, portrayed by Macdara Ó Fatharta, declines to pay for them.
Although his native American accent is clearly evident when saying “balloon”, O’Brien does an acceptable job pronouncing “airgead”. Despite his US inflection, those unfamiliar with the ex-talk show host may wonder how TG4 found an Irish speaker with such an accent. His performance in this interaction with Tadhg wasn’t embarrassing ultimately – it appears that if his comedy career ever waned, he could comfortably settle into the role of a disillusioned Irish-American in the party goods market.
The bartender remarked on the mutual intensity between the ginger individual and the hot air balloons following his departure. Indeed, O’Brien’s presence is rather subdued, giving the impression that his Boston Irish charm took a backseat in the hotel.
O’Brien is absent from the remainder of the episode, which overflowed with the Ros Na Rún’s signature far-fetched narratives. One plot involves a lady drugging a man’s coffee with fentanyl before proposing they indulge in a romp in his vehicle; however, he faints midway. Another storyline features an elderly man charged with infidelity.
The dramatised atmosphere of it all suits O’Brien’s brief appearance, with linguistic expert Kevin Hussey coaching him on nailing his lines. Some may find his appearance fleeting if they tuned in specifically to see him – he appears and vanishes quickly. Nevertheless, it’s a noteworthy occurrence – kudos to TG4 for orchestrating such an event.