“IT’S not hard to find inspiration living down here, every corner you turn there’s someone or something that will make you laugh.” 

Comedian Mark McCarney is fast becoming a social media sensation, and Fermanagh has been getting a touch in his latest round of Facebook videos. 

Speaking to the Herald, the stand up comedian from Fintona revealed he has big love for Fermanagh and says one of his dreams is to meet Sean Quinn and have a burger from the Muck Truck named after him. 

He said, “I’m a product of a mixed marriage. My Father is from Tyrone and my Mother is from Fermanagh. It was tough growing up with that hanging over my head. I can barely mind what school I went to as I did so very little but I do mind a goat came in once, it was a small school so we kept him to make up the numbers. 

“I’ve worked many jobs – I was a welder, worked in McKeagneys in Tempo for many a happy year, I was Fermanagh Manager for a while but now I primarily do grounds keeping on the Ballygawley Roundabout.”

With a highly risque but genuinely side-splitting brand of humour, McCarney uses any amount of local reference points and some of  the outrageous video clips he has posted online, including an irrveverend guide to Fermanagh and a hilarious ode to Bundoran, have gone viral.

In recent months he has been getting noticed and recently he has been hired in as the  warm-up for visiting acts to the Ardhowen.

While the funny man oozes confidence on Facebook, when Mark first started doing stand up comedy in Belfast, he wouldn’t tell anyone where he was going, and even lied to his ‘ole doll’ and told her he was going to look at a van from Done Deal.

Mark has been making videos since a young age, but he eventually came up with the idea for the ‘Parish Unknown’ sketches on Facebook.

“I had the idea for the Parish Unknown videos and I just went out, bought a new camera and landed myself in Enniskillen to make the first one. I’ve always wanted to be a comedian and make films but it just never seemed like something you could do here as a career but I am now so it just goes to show you what you can do here if your willing to take a leap of faith.”

While Mark is a firm favourite on social media, he says he can’t see himself ever making it on to the big screen. “I really can never see myself on TV, I haven’t the manners for it but I have no desire too. I love releasing videos and seeing people tag their friends and getting messages from people saying how much they enjoy them – but here, if the BBC wants to give me a few hundred grand to make something, my Credit Union book is always open.”

The future looks bright for the funny man who plans to make more videos, and perform shows around the country.

“I never thought I’d ever be doing anything like this so I’m just happy to keep on doing what I’m doing. Apart from that everything else is just a bonus. Pat’s Bar is looking me to do a show but they say they will only pay in cocktail sausages. If I can haggle a Pint or two I’d say it’s a done deal. 

“However, my dream is to retire on an Island on Lough Erne. I want to meet Sean Quinn, I love that man, he’s my Beyonce and it would be nice if the Muck Truck named a burger after me. If I had all that, I’d die a happy man.”

Whatever about Beyonce, watch this space: in the cut and thrust of stand-up comedy, where there’s still a shortage of genuine talent, Mark McCarney is the real deal.