SNL's "Irish Drinking Songs" Sketch Stars Mike Myers and a Young Conan O'Brien
The future Late Night Host's red hair adds a festive flair to the St. Patrick's Day ad parody.
Many big names in comedy started their career logging late nights in 30 Rock: to name just a few, Larry David, Bob Odenkirk, and Natasha Rothwell were all once Saturday Night Live writers. So was Conan O'Brien — and, before he became the groundbreaking Host of NBC's Late Night, the comedian appeared in Season 15's "Irish Drinking Sketch." He certainly had the right hair hue for it.
"Oh St. Paddy's day is here, there's whiskey in the jar / so let us drink to Ireland till we're face down on the bar," a pub full of celebrants sing, as they each hoist a pint of beer. The camera pulls closer toward cast members Kevin Nealon, Nora Dunn, and Jan Hooks dressed in St. Patrick's Day finery, who stand with writers O'Brien and Terry Turner.
"Faith and begorrah! There's nobody quite like the Irish," an announcer (Phil Hartman) says as the gang toasts their beers. "And there's nothing like this collection of Irish drinking songs to make your St. Patrick's Day festivities complete."
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Mike Myers leads a pub in "Irish Drinking Songs" in SNL's St. Patrick's Day sketch
What follows is a loudly sung selection of songs that match stereotypical takes on the holiday, such as "Nobody Gets Drunker Than the Irish" and "Whiskey, Rum, Rye" ("Rye, whiskey, too‐ra‐loo / I've thrown up on your shirt!"). Cast member Mike Myers takes the vibe down with a ballad (more just a general announcement) that his wife has died, before song titles like "Up Comes My Supper" and "They Never Named a Whiskey After England" flash onscreen.
As Nealon, Hooks, and O'Brien launch into the "Drinking / Fighting Song" and an announcer encourages customers to order the compilation now, Myers assures ye that you'll "be wantin' the compact disc — you can't fall down and break it!"
When was Conan O'Brien a writer on SNL?
O'Brien was a Saturday Night Live writer from 1988-1991. During his time on the show, O'Brien also played the door man for SNL's Five Timer's Club during the Tom Hanks monologue that first introduced the concept of the member lounge.
O'Brien's not himself a member, however, because he's only hosted SNL once on March 10, 2001.
O'Brien left SNL to take a writing job on The Simpsons. Of his time on Saturday Night Live, "I did have a lot of fun," O'Brien told Hanks during an episode of his podcast, Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend. "But I think I could have had more fun, and I think I could have maybe written there a little longer, if I didn't make it such a grind for myself."
The comedian also praised creator Lorne Michaels for giving writers such an active hand in developing sketches.
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"I had only worked about three years in television before that, but no one had let me near anything. You get to SNL, you write a sketch, and Steve Martin's going to be in it. And then Lorne says, 'Well, go in and tell Steve how it should be done and what you're thinking," O'Brien told Hanks. "And then go and talk to the props people about how the restaurant should look.'"
But O'Brien would return to NBC in 1993 for a historic reason: To become the host of Late Night with Conan O'Brien.
