Meet Arthur and Doris – Letterkenny's new internet sensations

When Orson Sterritt met with Toni Forrester, CEO of the Letterkenny Chamber of Commerce, to hatch a plan for the St Patrick's Day parade, none of them could have envisaged the idea would become an internet sensation.

Orson, of NorthWest Events, presented an idea centred on a granny and grandad, Doris and Arthur, as part of the pre-parade entertainment.

A clip of the couple, shared by Honeypot Coffee House, has been watched over 1.8 million times and been shared by almost 10,000 people.

Orson acted as Arthur with Doris played by Louise Hayden, 'CoachLou' of Hup Fitness in Drumkeen and they rehearsed the act at Pinehill Studios.

“We weren't expecting that at all,” Orson says. “It just seemed to gain mad traction. I didn't even know it was there at all until someone tagged me on Facebook.

“The cool thing is that people didn't know it was us until it started to go viral so it was anonymous to a point.”

Having danced in Lord of the Dance, Louise is no stranger to performing in front of big crowds.

She says: “I never thought that I'd go viral dressed as an old lady and wearing padding on the Main Street in Letterkenny.

“It has just gone mental. I've been called Doris more times in the last week than Louise.”

Arthur and Doris with Jimmy Stafford.

The numbers have spiralled in the days since it was first posted and is soaring towards the two million mark.

It all came from a simple idea surrounding an elderly couple who bypass the security and barriers to get onto the Main Street on St Patrick's Day.

Orson says: “Toni just asked could we come up with something to warm the crowd up before the parade came up the street and we came up with the granny and grandad idea.

“People had been waiting around for a long time so it was just something to keep them entertained.

“We had three leprechauns and three fairies down the street as well. The clip of us is actually the end of the performance.”

Orson's company organise family fun days, where they create or build characters around an event.

He also tours his children's show, The Adventures of The Exotic Dr Proctor, which he operates out of a horsebox. The show was created in conjunction with An Grianan Theatre and featured last summer as part of the Earagail Arts Festival.

“People think we're mad – but that's what I do, I'm a clown!