Paul Mescal explains his cúpla focal with Falcarragh native Caitlín Nic Aoidh

Paul Mescal explained his meeting with Falcarragh native Caitlín Nic Aoidh that went viral, on the Late Late Show last night. 

The pair crossed paths last week at the BAFTAs, where the TG4 presenter encouraged the star of 'Aftersun' to speak in the native tongue. He gamely managed to do so, although last night in the company of Late Late Show presenter Ryan Tubridy and 'God's Creatures' co-star, Emily Watson.

“I’m very proud of the Irish that I have and I think that it’s very important to not gate-keep the language. Agus ya.”@TG4TV #LateLate pic.twitter.com/2CS0OsjDdN

— The Late Late Show (@RTELateLateShow) February 24, 2023

Mescal, from Maynooth, Co Kildare, explained he spoke "badly" and that "my dad said straight away, 'what was that?'

"My mum got a text saying I should talk to someone from TG4 on the carpet and I said 'absolutely' then I did it and realised I was out of my depth very quickly. I'm very proud of the Irish that I have and that it's important not to gatekeep the language. If you have your cúpla focal, absolutely use it."

'God's Creatures' was filmed in Teelin, Killybegs and Kilcar in early 2021, during lockdown, with assistance from the Donegal Film Office, with early rehearsals taking place over zoom. It will be released next month.

"We were up in Donegal during Covid and it's definitely the most isolated I have been during a shoot," Mescal told Tubridy. "That all contributed to it."