AN IRISH comedian has gone viral with a hilarious sketch summing up the issues with Northern Ireland, Brexit and a potential United Ireland.
A new sketch from Cork comedian Tadhg Hickey has reached over one million views in less than 24 hours.
The video sees Tadhg explain the problems facing the United Kingdom since Brexit, and the potential break-up of the union-- using a Cork house share as an allegory.
He takes on the roles of Northern Ireland loyalists, England, the Republic of Ireland, Scotland and Wales-- all with Cork accents.
With England wanting to be more independent, and Scotland "probably moving out soon anyway", England suggests that Northern Ireland may want to move in with their neighbours, the Republic.
"I'd be happy to have you in my place," Ireland says. "There's a room on the top floor, it'd be perfect for you."
Loyalism, but in a house share in Cork pic.twitter.com/WNDGegEzmA
— Tadhg Hickey (@TadhgHickey) February 25, 2021
'Europe' also makes an appearance to try and convince loyalists to join the Republic, saying "if you do move in with him, you'd be more than welcome to hang out at my place too."
Tadhg's video has been viewed over a million times and garnered almost 30,000 likes on Twitter, and has even been picked up by the BBC, having been aired at the end of a BBC NI show last night-- on the same day a committee was launched in Downing Street to oversee relationships between the countries making up the UK.
On the day that a new constitutional committee was setup in Downing St to oversee relationships across the UK - here's Cork comedian @TadhgHickey's take on it. #BBCTheview | @MarkCarruthers7 pic.twitter.com/1WXDpYVEDU
— bbctheview (@bbctheview) February 25, 2021
Tadhg told Cork Beo that the reaction to the video has been "mental", and has mostly been positive, with "moderate Unionists [responding] to it well and gotten a bit of a laugh off it".
However he has upset some "more militant Loyalists", particularly after the clip was shown on the BBC.
"I actually thought I played the Loyalist character most sensitively but that is the group that I am getting the most hate from this morning," he said.
"There was no offence intended in it at all, for me it is a sketch about the bizarre position that Loyalism finds itself in as opposed to saying that they are crazy."
