Video star: An interview with Garreth O'Sullivan

A young Athlone guy has, over the past month, clocked up some 60,000 Facebook views for his comic and music videos.

“I love to make people smile, and put them in good form, and I could see that there was a lot of negativity in newsfeeds, so I wanted to do something funny,” said Garreth O’Sullivan. 

“I like cooking, and I wanted to fry a steak on video, and while my heart was going 90, I did it, with a bit of humour, and it went live on my personal Facebook and people loved it.”

Garreth has been developing some of his comic videos since then under the title of ‘The World’s Best Cooking Show’. 

He set up a separate Facebook page, ‘Something Random’ to display the cooking videos and some other comic stuff, including a bizarre comedy routine where Garreth was singing and playing an acoustic guitar, while fully clothed in a bathtub. In the video, he performs the song, ‘The Devil Inside of Me’. 

The 25-year-old Athlonian, Garreth O’Sullivan is the grandson of the late PJ O’Sullivan who ran a pub on Friary Lane for many years. Garreth is a past student of Athlone Community College and Athlone Institute of Technology, and he also played rugby with Buccaneers. 

“I’m not a great chef really, but I’ve done some chicken wings, steaks and protein pancakes on the ‘The World’s Best Cooking Show’ and I’ve been shouted at in the street about the cooking, as well as getting funny comments online,” he said, laughing.

“It’s all about doing something fun and I didn’t think it would get the reaction it’s getting. There’s no swearing on the videos, because I want people to be able to watch the comedy with their kids and not be concerned. It’s all good fun.”

Garreth is open to making a career out of comedy, through his comic videos. He makes no revenue from the videos, but has been getting between one and six thousand likes for them. He has made contact with a person who is involved in videography and editing as he looks to the future with his comedy.

“I did the videos with a phone and a speaker, but I’m now looking into buying new equipment,” he said.

Garreth is happy to have become a talking point online due to the videos, which also include a bizarre movie piece called ‘How To’, where Garreth shows the viewer how to sit down into a chair and also how to pick up a pen when sitting down.

“I love people contacting me on Facebook as well as those stopping me on the street, and they give me lots of ideas as well. I reply to everyone the second I see a comment. If someone takes the time to write to me, I’ll take the time to contact them.” 

He has married the music side of his life into his comedy routine. His bath music video was shared by the Hudson Guitar company’s Facebook page, because Garreth used a Hudson guitar in the movie.

The Sound Factory in Athlone, which sold him the guitar, shared Garreth’s bath music show, and Garreth also did a video revealing his brand new guitar and his guitar case. His videos have also being shared by ‘Love My Hair’ in Athlone. 

The Hudson Guitar company commented on their page, also about the bath scene: “Hmmmmm. Can't help but wonder if this is the first time a Hudson guitar has been played in a bath!!?? Regardless the song and the playing are great. Fair play Garreth for coming to us for the guitar and even fairer play for the weirdness to play it in a container for water usually reserved for the purposes of cleaning oneself!!!”– said the Hudson guitar company and the Sound Factory.

“People say I’m crazy and mad, but it’s the mad ones that do it right,” said Garreth laughing.

He estimates that there have been around 60,000 views of his videos and he claims that they are all ad-lib videos, all done without rehearsal, and he has no fear when recording.

“I prepare the food and all that for the videos but other than that, I just press the camera button, and put on the show,” he said. “I just go for it, and then I check it out. I’m very happy with the way it’s all going, and I’ve no fear about doing the crazy videos, and I hope people will continue liking them.”

Garreth creates his own music by ear, and plays chords that he doesn’t know, but they have become the chords of his songs.

“My music is all my own, I create everything, and I allow it to flow,” he said. “I wing it all the time, I play by ear, and I just go for it, and I’m sure there is nobody in life that isn’t winging it at some stage.”

‘Mrs Brown’s Boys’ and ‘Mr Bean’ are two of Garreth’s comic influences and he is able to laugh at himself, and that is the success of the World’s Best Cooking Show.

“I sometimes make a show of myself, and I can mess up in the cooking, but the more I mess up the better,” he said.

“I want to enjoy what I’m doing, and I love doing that and it’s not like work at all. If I get a career out of this, great, but if not, I’ll have no regrets, and I’ll enjoy it all.”

Garreth’s ‘World’s Best Cooking Show’ videos can be accessed on his own Facebook page, and on his ‘Something Random’ (@SomethingRand) Facebook Page or his YouTube channel, Garreth O’Sullivan. His music videos are available on YouTube or on his Instagram - garreth.osullivan1