'It was like going to the Gaeltacht'

Q&A:Risteárd Cooper, comedian and TG4 star talks to EOIN BUTLER

One tends to approach home-grown sitcoms with a degree of trepidation. And the fact that this one is in Irish doesn't exactly sweeten the dealPut the words "Irish" and "sitcom" in a sentence and people tend to shudder instinctively. But this one is different. It's on TG4, which I think has carved out an identity for itself in a way that no other Irish TV station has managed to do. It's about a government-supported Irish language agency striving to justify its existence in light of the present financial situation. So in a sense, it's TG4 poking fun at itself.

Were you pleased with how it turned out?Yes. I was very conscious of the subtitles, because the timing there is very important. Getting the subtitles to match what's happening onscreen is as important as adding another character. The translation is succinct and loyal to what was intended in the original Irish.

Are you a fluent Irish speaker?I went to a Gaelscoil, Scoil Bhríde in Ranelagh. And my mam was an Irish teacher, so I would have spoken it at home. But I haven't spoken the language out loud since I was nine years old. The producers asked me how I'd feel about taking on the role and I told them I wasn't sure. But they sent me the script and, while I didn't know what everything meant, I had a fair crack at the pronunciation. Once I was on the set it was a lot easier. It was like going to the Gaeltacht.

Isn't there something a bit dysfunctional about an actor speaking lines he doesn't fully understand for an audience who, for the most part, are reading the subtitles?Well, I suppose there is. But even if you are just reading the subtitles, it doesn't change the fact that you're listening in Irish. So it's a good thing. Personally, too, I'm really glad I've re-acquainted myself with the language and I'm very grateful to have been given the opportunity.

Will the Après Match team be back for the World Cup this summer?Yes, we're really looking forward to that. We'll be doing it live again this time, as opposed to doing pre-recorded sketches, so there's a bit more of a risk, but also a bit more of a thrill. When we did pre-records, the audience would be wondering why we were ignoring the fact that such-and-such a player had just been sent off or Germany had just lost 4-0 or whatever.

Who will the big personalities be this time out?The obvious regret about Ireland not qualifying is that we won't get to do Trapattoni and the interpreter. That would have made for great material. I think England's progress under Capello will be interesting though. The wheels have already started to come off there a little bit.

Neil Hannon recently name-checked O'Herlihy, Dunphy and Giles in his alternative national anthem. What will you do when they're gone?We've moved away from doing Bill, Eamon and John so much in our stage show. So they're no longer such a vital cog in our wheel. During the last World Cup, we did a lot of Sky Sports and Setanta. It's undeniable, though, that they are a massively entertaining combination of characters. It's so different from the BBC. Gary Lineker, Alan Hanson and Alan Shearer are such extraordinarily boring people. I can't understand how they're chosen. Lineker, in particular, specialises in a very drole, pun-based humour that I find excruciating.

RTÉ soccer pundits don't have to worry about bumping into people they criticise to the extent that their English counterparts may have toThat's a fair point. To be honest, doing satire, that's a problem we encounter all the time. We slag off an individual and then very often you bump into him at a book launch or something. People can get very offended. I won't name any names, but I've had letters and threats at social occasions. The individuals concerned are clearly in the wrong business. If you're in the public eye – as I am – you just have to accept it. It's part of the job.

An Crisis is on TG4 on Wednesdays at 10.30pm