So what did the Irish make of Saoirse Ronan's Saturday Night Live hosting debut? It turns out that Irish people don't take to kindly to having our national airline mocked. The general perception is that Ronan, who is earning rave reviews for her role in Lady Bird, acquitted herself well in her first appearance on the staple of American comedy.
Most people were particularly critical of the show's Aer Lingus sketch. It involved Ronan and Cecily Strong acting as air hostesses. For some reason, the plane is filled with dogs while Kate McKinnon is clad in an Aran sweater. There were a few jokes about potatoes, the usual stuff. One commenter under the YouTube version, via Daily Edge, of the sketch read: "What was supposed to be funny here? They were flinging everything at the wall hoping for something to stick… and it didn’t. What was the main thread of the joke? The name joke that’s abandoned 10 seconds in? The dogs getting loose? The accents? The 5 seconds potato gag? I mean, what was this supposed to even be about?"
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While Irish Times scribe Donald Clarke wrote on Twitter, "The Brits occasionally claim Saoirse Ronan, but they never put her through that Aer Lingus sketch on SNL. Let’s never speak of it again." Irish sports blog Balls.ie wrote in their coverage of the story, "SNL's Aer Lingus Skit Brought Paddywhackery To New Heights."
The bizarre sketch ended with Carlow-native Ronan saying, "Folks, as you can see, the captain's dogs has run out of the cockpit. Look, Maeve's got her fiddle out."
Here's the best of the rest of the Irish Twitter reaction:
Can we all be clear about something because twitter seems to be getting it’s knickers in a twist again...that #SNL sketch last night with Saoirse Ronan on an @AerLingus flight was NOT insulting.
— Daragh Keany (@DaraghKeany) December 3, 2017
It was just utterly shit.
Went searching for @u2’s #snl performances and stumbled upon Saoirse Ronan doing a fairly cringeworthy @AerLingus sketch. https://t.co/s2V65Dd6yp via @youtube
— Damien O'Meara (@damien_omeara) December 3, 2017
V proud of fellow Carlow woman Saoirse Ronan, but this is truly the worst thing I've seen in years. Awful. https://t.co/h5vqhRyeo3
— Emma Jane Hade (@emmajhade) December 3, 2017
Disappointing to see someone of the calibre of Saoirse Ronan do a piece like this. Can't imagine the brilliant crews in Aer Lingus will give her a warm welcome on her next flight. https://t.co/rDf4qVgf8o
— Sean Brett (@SeanBrett1) December 3, 2017
Oh dear @nbcsnl was supposed to be an Irish celebration with @U2 & Saoirse Ronan on last night, but this is one of the worst sketches to date. Not funny, and the accents??? #SNL https://t.co/HeaaPJawCN via @YouTube
— Caitriona Perry (@CaitrionaPerry) December 3, 2017
I’m a big @nbcsnl fan & Saoirse Ronan is usually great but what’s with this hugely unfunny & slightly racist @AerLingus sketch?! https://t.co/kpPj3sZMQ5
— Lucie McInerney (@LucieMcInerney) December 3, 2017
Rolling my eyes at Saoirse Ronan’s @AerLingus sketch on SNL.
— Rosetta O'Sullivan (@The_Dopest_Trip) December 3, 2017
I just watched the Aer Lingus SNL sketch and Saoirse Ronan is actually the least funny person on the planet the Brits can claim her tbh
— Comrade Hilton (@infinityonhi) December 3, 2017
I think Saoirse Ronan is great- brilliant actress and seems bang on. The "Welcome to Hell" bit on SNL was 👌 But the Aer Lingus sketch was *awful*. Aran jumpers, potato jokes, Americans doing stage Oirish accents? Definitely expected more from SNL than that old shtick.
— Nicola Brennan (@nnibhraonain) December 3, 2017
What a crock of shit. #SNL must have had some shit on Saoirse Ronan for her to agree to this hatchet job. Also, if there were dogs running around on @AerLingus flights I'd probably fly a lot more. https://t.co/gk4MFowqJl
— Conor Higgins (@AskHiggins) December 3, 2017
Just saw the #SNL Aer Lingus sketch with Saoirse Ronan... genuine question, do Americans actually think that Ireland is just a country that's overrun by dogs? #AerLingus @nbcsnl
— Boushel (@boushel) December 3, 2017
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