The Ciara Phelan Podcast: Use of cocaine in society is 'scary', says Rory’s Stories creator

On a recent night out in Cork, he said he observed a queue longer for the men’s toilets than the women’s but urinals were not being used.

“I did an observation check and it was the age from about 19 to 60 in this queue and I walked out and a fella came up to me ... asked for a photo and he said ‘here shake my hand’ and he put a bag of coke [cocaine] into my hand, no word of a lie.” 

He said he put the packet back into the man’s pocket and asked him if he had learnt anything from watching Gaelic in the Joy, a series which focuses on prisoners in Mountjoy who have been put behind bars for criminality such as drug use.

“He said the famous words of an addict: ‘I was bad on this stuff but I have it under control now’ while he was giving me a bag of cocaine.” 

He said: “Call a spade a spade, things are in a very scary place at the minute in society. The cocaine thing for me is mind-blowing.” 

The comedian said he feels sorry for the justice minister who is dealing with a rise in violent attacks and an evident increase in drug use.

“No matter what she does she’s kind of wrong if you get me; the crime and drug scene is scary at the minute,” he said.

Mr O’Connor also opened up about overcoming his gambling addiction and living every day with an addictive personality. He said while out socialising, 70% of people that approach him thank him for sharing his mental health struggles.

He discusses hitting rock bottom in 2013 with a gambling addiction and when he reflects on the time where he contemplated taking his own life, he said he now thinks what a waste it would have been.

“I’ve come out of the woods with mental scars on my mind and head. I want to tell other people there is another road and option,” he said.