WATCH: Steve Coogan's Irish Alan singing rebel songs on the BBC still has viewers in stitches

It remains one of the most audacious few minutes of comedy the BBC has ever aired at ten o'clock on a Monday night. As the credits rolled on a St. Patrick's Day episode of "This Time with Alan Partridge," Steve Coogan's Co Sligo farmer Martin Brennan launched into "Come Out Ye Black and Tans" and "The Men Behind the Wire" while Partridge and his co-host sat frozen beside him, eyes flicking to the camera in horror.

Steve Coogan played an Irish farmer who sings rebel tunes during this week’s St. Patrick’s Day episode of his BBC comedy ‘This Time with Alan Partridge.’

The BBC comedy, which features Steve Coogan as the clueless television presenter Alan Partridge, closed its Monday night episode with Partridge chatting with his Irish doppelganger, a farmer from Co. Sligo named Martin Brennan.

Coogan played double duty in the episode, playing both his titular Alan Partridge and Martin Brennan, also known as 'Irish Alan.'

Ders more to Partridge den dis. #ThisTime pic.twitter.com/C25PdfiuJi

— BBC Comedy (@bbccomedy) March 18, 2019

As the credits begin to roll, Brennan breaks out in a rousing rendition of both ‘Come Out Ye Black and Tans’ and ‘The Men Behind the Wire.’

Partridge and his co-host Jennie instantly become uncomfortable, eyes awkwardly darting to the camera.

“Oh my God, that was like an advert for the IRA,” says Partridge.

The Journal notes that, perhaps surprisingly, there was no “substantial fury” following the clip of Irish rebel songs on the BBC, save for one tweet from a parody account of Ian Paisley, Jr:

Disgusting to see this pro IRA stance taken by the BBC. I will be writing to the Director General to make the point that the IRA were terrorists and to put them on a pedestal like this is akin to glorifying the acts of ISIS.

I am incandescent with rage. https://t.co/mtLqGYFwT1

— Ian Paisley MP (@lanPaisleyMP) March 18, 2019

Worth noting is that in September, British rocker Rod Stewart said the BBC “won’t let me sing 'Grace' because of its Irish, anti-English overtones in the song.”

Twitter was abuzz following the episode, with some people hailing the episode as “genius.”

Oh my god that was the best episode. It’s getting better and better. The Irish Alan Partridge lookalike was a stroke of genius. The whole thing is. #ThisTime pic.twitter.com/q6FpHrRk0s

— Greg James (@gregjames) March 18, 2019

Steve Coogan has made Alan Partridge react nervously and/or shocked, as most brits usually would with the mention of ‘black and tans’, ‘ira’ and ‘men behind the wire’. While also impersonating a man called Martin, an Alan Partridge doppelgänger. That’s one smart comedic cookie pic.twitter.com/jWFlx4UniJ

— Colm Mullan (@Brick_14) March 19, 2019

Steve Coogan has managed the impossible; taking Alan Partridge to a whole new level. ‘Irish Alan’ singing “Come Out You Black And Tans” is a piece of TV gold.
If you haven’t been tuning in to #thistime, then you need to start.

— Martin T Coughlan (@MartinCough333) March 18, 2019

Come out ya Black and Tans sang on BBC1 just before the 10 o’clock news? It can only be Alan Partridge genius! I nearly wet myself #ThisTime

— Gary Byrne (@gizbyrne) March 18, 2019

Half of Scotland throws the TV out the window. The SNP’s Met of the North issue arrest warrant for Alan Partridge. Summit to be called this week. NBM issue 14 statements apologising to the DUP pic.twitter.com/wrNmaQbQRX

— Jim Slaven (@JimSlaven) March 18, 2019

In 2013, Coogan, who is British, said of his Irish roots: “I’m half Irish and Alan does make all sorts of Irish references. I spent nearly every summer of my life growing up in the west of Ireland, and I’m very familiar with Mayo and Cork and West Cork.”

“A lot of the humor I do as Alan is British prejudice against the Irish, which can sound just like jokes against the Irish, but it has to be put into the context of Alan’s ignorance, which is why we get away with it.”

What do you think of Steve Coogan's Martin Brennan character? Let us know in the comments!

* Originally published in 2019 and updated in 2026.