Tommy Tiernan's RTE Late Late chat causes website to crash as viewers react to comments

Tommy Tiernan's website crashed in the wake of his RTE Late Late Show interview with Patrick Kielty on Friday night.

The comedian was on the show to discuss his upcoming Vicar Street gigs, the return of his popular podcast with Hector Ó hEochagáin and Laurita Blewitt, as well as fielding questions about a potential run for president. 

Tommy was asked if he was going to run for President. Host Patrick Kielty said he had "heard a rumour" that the Meath man was considering a bid for the Áras in the election next year.

Tommy replied: “Can you imagine?” before praising our current President and his longtime friend Michael D Higgins: "We’re lucky to have an articulate, caring, principled man in the Áras.

ABOVE: Late Late host Patrick Kielty pictured on set with Tommy Tiernan PIC: RTE

“Parts of being president, I’d love. I’d love going to matches,” he joked. “I’d love to take the King of Burundi to the Bally Café in Navan. I’d love that.

“We’re very lucky to have Michael as our president and I hope that, I know that the love of the people is important to him, and I hope he feels it.

“It’s tangible, it’s present, it’s real. He’s our most respected and loved public figure, and we’re lucky," he added.

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Patrick Kielty then said, "that’s the Tommy Tiernan way of not ruling himself in or ruling himself out" before Tommy fired back, “it wouldn’t suit me, it wouldn’t suit me." It was reported earlier this year that Tiernan was considering an Áras bid and had discussed the prospect with Michael D Higgins.

In the wake of the chat, in which Tommy talked about his upcoming gigs, the funnyman's own website crashes, presumably due to a surge in interest in tickets.

A statement on his social media late on Friday night read: "Due to the high volume of traffic to Tommy's website following his appearance on the Late Late Show tonight, his site temporarily crashed but we are back up and running now. Thanks for the love."

Viewers were also left baffled by some odd apparent edits during the Tommy Tiernan interview, sparking theories that the interview was pre-recorded due to the election exit poll coverage on the show.

"Is this #latelate recorded??…seems edited," one X user wrote, with a second adding, "is the Tommy Tiernan piece live? Seems bit choppy #latelate."

Others were full of praise for the comedian with one person commenting, "Tommy Tiernan terrific on Late Late tonight," with another saying, "Love love Tommy Tiernan, cracks me up."