Irish American actor John C Reilly has admitted that he got down on his knees and kissed the ground when he finally made it to Ireland for the first time.
Speaking on Friday night's St Patrick’ Day Late Late Show special, the Wreck it Ralph and Stan & Ollie star, who was International Guest of Honour at this year’s Dublin parade, recalled his very first trip to Ireland when he was on a publicity tour with his Step Brothers co-star Will Ferrell.
"The first time I came here it was on a chartered plane with Will for some press event and it was a very meaningful moment," the 56-year-old Chicago native said.
"You probably think I’m being corny, but I came down the stairs from the plane and I kissed the ground because I felt like the Pope coming over. I wanted to show what it meant to me.
"Will said, `what are you doing? It’s filthy! It’s tarmac.’ I said I don’t care, it’s Ireland."
The fifth of six children, John’s deep grá for Ireland is all down to his proud Irish dad, who passed away several years ago. "You can’t top my dad for Irish love," he said.
"He was the fountainhead. He told us all about the history of Ireland the struggles and all of it. Each year he’d take one of us over to visit and I didn’t get my turn with him."
Speaking about this role as International Guest of Honour at the Dublin parade, John said, "I really embraced the part. I got out there and I thought; `parade, you’ll hear some music and see some floats’, but we started moving through the crowd and I began connecting with all these kids lining the path and they were much closer than I thought they’d be.
"I thought, `I’m making dreams come true! I like your hat!’ it was really a beautiful thing and what a great time to bring some joy into the world.
"We’ve all suffered so much over the past two years and there are a lot of people suffering now but joy is an important part of human strength. I thought it was important to come here and help bring people together."
The actor also recalled his many trips to see the St Patrick’s Day parades in Chicago when he was growing up.
"It was an annual rite to go to the St Patrick’s Day parade with my father and for Irish people in Chicago it’s their day, their big day," he said.
"You guys get to be Irish all year round. It’s a display of cultural strength and I can’t tell you it was a big part of defining who I was as a kid so to be able to come here and be riding in a car in a suit by Louis Copeland in the Dublin parade . . . it’s mental where I’ve ended up.
"To be on the streets of Chicago holding my dad’s hand wondering how you play bagpipes to be at the parade in Dublin is a beautiful thing, so I was really happy to give back some joy after all these years. My dad is somewhere probably enjoying it more than me."
John, who sang rather excellent versions of Raglan Road and The Wild Rover on Friday’s Late Late, also told the story of the memorable night James Bond star Daniel Craig helped him cook 24 lobsters when Reilly was shooting The Lobster in Kerry.
Beautiful 💚 🇮🇪
— The Late Late Show (@RTELateLateShow) March 17, 2022
Raglan Road - John C. Reilly #LateLate pic.twitter.com/O9KBcE9eGH
He also presented Dublin parade Grand Marshall and Olympic boxing champion Kellie Harrington with a pair of "Kerry-coloured" athletic wristbands he wore in a scene in Step Brothers.
The champion boxer is just back from her first foray into the ring since Tokyo, winning the Strandja tournament in Bulgaria.
She has a busy time coming up between marrying her fiancé and the World Championships in Istanbul this May.
Speaking about her big day with John and fellow Marshall, Paralympian Ellen Keane, Kellie said, "The crowds were going absolutely crazy.
"We got them going singing the old olé, olé and my throat was gone, and we hadn’t even gone down O’Connell Street yet!
"Being from the inner city, when we go to the parade, we go into O’Connell Street, so I never knew where the parade went. I thought it just went over the bridge and that’s it - lights out, goodnight everybody.
"Next of all, we’re up on Dawson Street and we’re going to The Liberties. I was like oh my god, my cheeks are going to crack from smiling. It was brilliant." Kellie added before she sang a very well received version of Irish classic Grace.
There is no end to @Kelly64kg's talents 🎤🥰 #LateLate pic.twitter.com/CMj4H3OKTl
— The Late Late Show (@RTELateLateShow) March 17, 2022
It was an evening of music and craic on Friday’s Late Late’s celebration of all things Irish.
THAT moment 😭😭😭#LateLate pic.twitter.com/adaonsMg3z
— The Late Late Show (@RTELateLateShow) March 17, 2022
It was a very emotional night for the Ferrer and Tynan families when they were treated to a surprise reunion with daughter Catriona, whom they hadn’t seen since 2019 and were finally introduced to their new granddaughter, Ciara.
"A song for Ireland" 🇮🇪
— The Late Late Show (@RTELateLateShow) March 17, 2022
Stunning, @DMCMusic96 💚 #LateLate pic.twitter.com/RtcoO2bhGW
As well as John’s renditions of Raglan Road and The Wild River, Clannad and Bell-X1 front man Paul Noonan joined forces for a version of the band’s 1986 hit with Bono, In a Lifetime.
Persian/Irish group Nava made their Late Late debut with a superb fusion performance, while a star was born in the shape of rising folk star Dan McCabe and his rousing take on A Song for Ireland.
Fantastic stuff @navatheband 👏#LateLate pic.twitter.com/vi6GXNnNsn
— The Late Late Show (@RTELateLateShow) March 17, 2022
Oliver Callan was also in studio to do a whirlwind tour of Irish accents and later reappeared amid the audience for a rather exuberant Bono impression.
Alan Corr @CorrAlan2
