Already hugely popular due to his iconic portrayal of Alan Partridge, Steve Coogan further endeared himself to the Irish public with the addition of Sligo man Martin Brennan to his roster of characters.
Coogan's Partridge returned to our screens in 2019 when the BBC commissioned This Time with Alan Partridge, a spoof of modern magazine shows starring Coogan as Partridge - the co-host of the programme.
Undoubtedly the most famous sketch to arise from the 12-part series was the side-splitting introduction of Martin Brennan, a farmer from County Sligo also played by Coogan, who is invited on the show due to his role as an "Alan Partridge impersonator."
The clip quickly went viral, with the character of Brennan ripping the piss out of host Partridge in his thick western Irish accent, before inviting his cousins on stage to join him for a sing-song.
Said sing-song soon descends into chaos when the group bursts into a rendition of 'Come Out Ye Black and Tans,' much to the horror of Partridge and his co-host.
At the time, not only was the sketch lauded for how remarkably funny it was, but also for how it represented a tasteful and authentic approach to satirising Irish people on stage.
We have become accustomed to dreadful Irish accents akin to leprechauns being the norm when such sketches are attempted. Coogan not only nailed the Sligo accent in the sketch, but also poked fun at the British discomfort around Irishness as much as he did the Irishness itself.
Coogan's mother Kathleen was born in County Mayo, while his paternal grandparents were also Irish.
In an interview with Dermot O'Leary last weekend, Coogan explained his Irish familial links had inspired the character of Brennan - and that he had been insistent with the production team that everything was done correctly to reflect the character's Irishness.
READ HERE: Patrick Vieira Catches Roy Keane Out With Saipan Jibe That Carragher Was "Too Terrified To Say"
READ HERE: Radical Rule Changes Set To Be Trialled By Jim Gavin's Football Review Group Made Public
Steve Coogan reveals one element of Martin Brennan character he changed for his mother
Speaking on BBC Radio with Dermot O'Leary (who was born to Irish parents), Steve Coogan explained that he spent every summer of his childhood in rural Mayo with his "farmer uncles," revealing this was the inspiration for Martin Brennan.
View this post on Instagram
Coogan also revealed that his Irish roots had led to him being insistent on everything being done tastefully, down to the minute details of his costume.
It was sort of an amalgam of them (his uncles). My mother was very worried about me doing that, she said, 'The Irish won't like you if you do that.'
I said, 'They will, because they'll recognise it's not me saying, "Top of the morning," and almost kind of cliché-y. It's very specific.'
It's a specific area. I even said to the wardrobe woman, 'You've got to get the clothes dead right for this guy because I know them all!'
Coogan revealed that he did make one change to his original plan to have Brennan be a Mayo native - at the behest of his mother.
The only slack to my mother was I made him from County Sligo, not County Mayo. Just to give her a bit of protection!
It remains one of the funniest sketches of recent years on British television, and it's fantastic to hear Steve Coogan speaking about the care he went to to represent Irishness tastefully.
SEE ALSO: Adeleke Pays Heartwarming Tribute To Mam After Stunning Silver Medal
