Paul Mescal is a Tourist’s Dream Irish Bartender in Must-See Cut-for-Time SNL Sketch
An Irishman himself, Mescal was a stand out in this unseen clip cut from December 7's episode.
The December 7 episode of Saturday Night Live, hosted by Paul Mescal, was packed with so many sketches and hilarious moments, that not all of them made it to air, including this newly shared cut-for-time sketch, "Irish Americans."
The clip opens with an introduction that reads: "What Americans think will happen when they visit Ireland..." and then viewers are transported to a pub where an American couple (Andrew Dismukes and Ashley Padilla) sit down to have a glass — err, pint — of Guinness.
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They're greeted by a bartender named John — played by Maynooth, Ireland native Mescal — who offers them a warm greeting, correctly guessing that they are visiting on holiday. After ordering their beers, Dismukes' character drops a bombshell that rocks the bar when he says, "It's such a beautiful country. I can't believe my ancestors ever left."
John, frozen in disbelief asks him, "What did you just say?"
"Oh, just, you know, I can't believe my ancestors ever left this place," Dismukes' character continues. "I'm actually a quarter Irish," he reveals, adding how he "did a 23andMe and everything."
"Well, why didn't you say so right out of the gate?!" says an overjoyed John, as he rings a bell behind the bar to alert the other townsfolk in the pub. "Welcome home, lad! Everyone, a son of the soil has returned to us!"
The locals (two of which are played by Chloe Fineman and Mikey Day) gather around the American couple to hear about the tourists' lineage. They are briefly disappointed when they learn that the surname of Dismukes' character is Krzyzewski, but their excitement returns when he says, "But my grandmother's maiden name was O'Connor."
"There's only a few million people with that last name!" says John, grabbing Dismukes' character by his vest.
"There's one right here in the village. Susan O'Connor from down the lane. Quick! Someone run and fetch her! Go now!" yells Day's townsperson as one of the pub-goers crashes through the front window to go find her.
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"I'm sorry, this is just a huge day for us," says John, still processing the news.
The ridiculousness of the sketch ramps up, with even Padilla's character learning about her own family tree after she reveals she is "1/16 Scottish."
Now, be warned. Americans probably won't receive this over-the-top of a welcome if they visit any Irish pubs IRL, but we can dream, right?
Watch the cut-for-time "Irish Americans" SNL sketch in the video above.
