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Roy, Mary Lou and me -- Conor Sketches on his favourite stars and unusual fans
His world-class impressions have brought him face-to-face with global sporting icons such as Tiger Woods, José Mourinho and Max Verstappen.
But the man behind Conor Sketches says he gets the most joy from channelling Mary Lou McDonald – and her constituency rival Gerry Hutch has also turned out to be a fan.
Conor Moore said the Sinn Féin leader is 'the one that I'm loving doing at the minute' and is currently writing her parts for his run of Irish shows in the autumn. Conor Moore. Pic: Brian McEvoy
'Mary Lou is just a brilliant character,' the impressionist told the Irish Mail on Sunday.
'I think she's got a cool voice; she's got that attitude. She's up against the two lads [Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Tánaiste Simon Harris] all the time and she's definitely one I'm really enjoying.'
The Mullingar man added that 'throwing Gerry Hutch into the mix' when he and McDonald went head-to-head in Dublin Central last November 'was fun'. And 'The Monk' has made his appreciation of Moore's work known on no fewer than three occasions. Conor Sketches as Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch. Pic: Instagram
'I did some for the election last year and he commented under the first one and said it was brilliant,' the mimic explained.
'Then I did a thing where all the politicians were on First Dates, and he wrote me a message saying it was brilliant. So that was definitely a relief.'
The alleged crime boss-turned-wannabe politician acknowledged Moore's work again when he featured in a hilarious St Patrick's Day skit earlier this year, in which The Monk accompanied Micheál Martin to meet Donald Trump in the White House.
'He put up on his social media [saying], 'Give this fella a follow, brilliant.' Then I really knew he really liked it.'
While GAA personalities provided much of the 36-year-old's earlier material, Moore has become the go-to impersonator in the ego-filled worlds of golf, Formula 1 and soccer – and it seems it isn't just The Monk who can laugh at himself. Pic:Moore said 'every single one' of the stars he has met – and often lampooned in their presence – has been 'absolutely bang on'.
'It nearly makes your job harder to do, because at the start, you nearly think these people aren't real, so you're just taking the mick out of them,' he said.
'Now you're a bit like, 'Oh, should I do that one? Should I talk about this?', and you think a bit more about it, because you do get that access, and you do meet these people.'
However, Moore's aversion to outright cruelty resulted in him retiring his Harry Maguire impression when the Manchester United and England defender became the internet's favourite punching bag.
He believes being Irish 'definitely helps' – 'especially when I was in America at the golf clubs and working at the Golf Channel [where he had his own show for three years]'. Conor Moore as Mary Lou McDonald. Pic: Instagram
'People looked at you like, 'You're Irish, you're fun, you're bringing the craic here.' People know you're good for a slag and stuff.'
It is rare for someone to ask to be impersonated on the spot, but the biggest star golf has produced was an exception.
'I was only after meeting him 10 seconds earlier. I said, 'How are you Tiger?' And he said, 'Oh hey buddy, do me.'
'I goes [in Woods's voice]: 'The conditions are really tough out there,' and he just turned to me and goes, 'F*** dude, you do sound just like me.'' The pair went on to make an ad together, and more recently, Moore recorded an ad with Roy Keane, whom he calls 'just brilliant fun'.
'He's just such a great laugh when you're on set with him. The Sky ad was easier, because I had met him before [on Sky Sports show The Overlap]. Conor Moore and Roy Keane. Pic: File
'But he's just very funny, and very enjoyable to do stuff with.'
Inspired by Après Match's 2001 video Live At The Olympia, Moore began doing impressions in school with his good friend Alan Cashman – 'the only fella that actually enjoyed them' – who he still bounces new material off.
Years later, working in sales after a stint in finance in New York, he was photographed contributing to 'a bit of a scuffle' at a GAA match.
He said: 'There was a picture of me in the paper – it was none too flattering, but it was harmless – and I did a video on it, taking the mick out of Mourinho, Dunphy, Beckham, all these lads talking about it. I sent it into the WhatsApp group, and one of the boys put it on Facebook, and it gathered legs.
'I quit my job then about two weeks later, and said: 'Right, I'll give this thing a crack. I'll make some videos online and see if I can get a job doing it.' And rang me up about four months after that and gave me a job.'
His upcoming, almost-sold-out live tour will be his second, and features on-stage interactions with pre-recorded segments and material adjusted according to what part of the country he is performing in.
He plans to do a full Formula 1 tour in future, which he acknowledges could take him 'anywhere' given the sport's global popularity, helped by Netflix docuseries Drive To Survive.
Moore says he wasn't even an F1 fan himself before that series, illustrating the endless creative potential of a top impersonator.
'Someone said to me, 'Make hay when the sun shines,' and I'm like, 'I'm hoping it shines now for the next 40 years or whatever.'
'If a new person comes along, you just learn them. In two or three years, I could have another Irish show with completely new people.'
But he said interesting characters are harder to come by in football these days.
'They're so well media-trained to give the same stock answers,' he said. 'Where you're getting content is probably Keane and [Gary] Neville and these boys doing podcasts. They're actually just coming out saying whatever.
'In terms of managers and players, it's so hard to find characters in that.'
