Conan O'Brien on his last night on NBC ended up as the corpse at the Irish wake, but like that famous one in the song “Finnegan's Wake” he certainly came to life.

It wasn't the drop of the hard stuff that energized Conan, but the love of the fans and the repeated standing ovations that has taken him back from the dead. His ratings have skyrocketed and he has been unbelievably funny these past few nights.

The Irish jig with Robin Williams is already a classic. With Williams mouthing obscenities at NBC and Conan doing a slip jig, Tim Finnegan would have felt right at home. Or Phil the fluter in that other Irish classic – “Hadn't we the gaiety at Phil the Fluter's ball.”

If NBC thought they would bury Conan they now know they have made a huge mistake. This corpse is up and dancing. “Thundering Jesus do you think I'm Dead” as Tim Finnegan remarked.

No Conan, we didn't. “A gentle Irishman mighty odd” is how Tim Finnegan was remembered. It is a description that would suit Conan too. The mighty odd Irishman will now go on to bigger and better things.
 
NBC can go back to bean counting. They have lost the one great original talent they had. As Tim Finnegan remarked, “Isn't it the truth I told ya, lots of fun at Finnegan's wake."