The Toxic Travel Guide: Ireland as You’ve Never Seen It Before

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Everyone asks how I know so much about Ireland and I always tell them that I've lived thousands of lives. I'm like a family of cats; I don't have nine lives, I have 81. A lot of the wisdom is just wisdom that I've made up on the spot. A lot of it is true because I've said it's true so it must be," he explains, dryly. It was a place that had piqued McNamara's curiosity ever since playing the Irish version of Monopoly as a child. He had never heard of it before. Did it even exist? For 10 years, for 15 years even. And I never thought about it again. Until that day where it's like, I'll try something different." But people are just so kind, and so friendly. And it's such an honour to be able to give people a laugh. Not everyone, but like some people.

But the sociology and psychology student has some deeper motivations too, other than simply entertaining. I relax by doing something creative – writing, or whatever it is. And funnily enough, getting myself into awkward situations making videos where I ask weird questions. We sat down with comedian Frankie McNamara to discuss his new book, his viral videos and his long list of future plans. Social media star Frankie McNamara says he's always had "such a weird sense of humour", but he never expected that to translate into viral comedy success. Did you know that no one in Cork City can remember anyone's name, which is why Corkonians are either called 'bai', 'kid' or 'girl'?The Wonder: Westmeath actress Niamh Algar on film about a feverishly religious, post-Famine Ireland

With his new book hitting shelves across the country and his videos continuing to rake in thousands of views every week, we asked the 27-year-old about his next steps on his own spiritual journey.I spoke about that in the Clondalkin video. So it's just weird little things like that people kind of appreciate," he says. Did you know people from Galway have a genetic defect that makes them think they built Supermacs themselves? I started listening to all these meditation gurus and I was like, 'Are any of them actually just horrible people, you know?' Because who talks like that?

But he was always so kind to me and so encouraging, you know... He was a straight talker. So I knew what he was telling me was the truth. And that really gave me so much encouragement."If you threw it at someone's house it would probably break a window," he agrees. "It's pretty hefty." McNamara counts the late US comedian George Carlin as one of his heroes – a man who was certainly never afraid to mix comedy with a social or political agenda. As well as writing, shooting, narrating and editing his videos, Frankie says that "about 90 per cent" of his green screen clips feature music he made himself. Not only that, but he is currently attending Maynooth University to study a degree in Psychology and Sociology.

The book delivers the same deadpan humour found in Frankie's videos, many of which have gone viral thanks to their inherently shareable quality. If you live in an area of Ireland that he's covered in his 'Ancient Mysteries' series, you've undoubtedly seen him appear on your social media feed. You know, he really, really encouraged me to continue writing. I didn't have him in fifth and sixth year, but I used to just get him in between classes and go, 'Here, look at this.'

Children's

He may already have a book published, but the third year Maynooth student says he has no plans to stop producing online content anytime soon.