"It definitely wasn’t on the list of things I thought people would notice"
Sometimes the most random things from pop culture catch on. In the case of hit series 'Normal People', it's Connell's chain.
What began as an incidental prop soon became an object of public fascination as Connell's chain got its own Instagram account.
Daisy Edgar-Jones, Paul Mescal's (who plays Connell) co-star in the series, was recently rumoured to have lost the precious accessory.
Speaking with Marty Morrissey on The Ryan Tubridy Show on RTÉ Radio One yesterday, Mescal admitted he's bewildered by how it's exploded.
"It definitely wasn’t on the list of things I thought people would notice," he commented. "It’s kind of grown arms and legs. It kind of became its own entity, and I’m raffling off one of my own chains for Pieta House."
The chain has raised over €53,000 so far for the charity.
Mescal said: "I couldn’t have imagined that response.
"It shows the popularity of the chain and the show itself. Obviously I’m over the moon, and eternally grateful to everybody who’s donated."
The actor also talked about Connell's O’Neill’s shorts on the series. These have also, bemusingly, gone viral too.
"It’s hilarious," Mescal said, laughing. "I’m aware that, sometimes on my way to the shops I’m being photographed.
"But, to be honest, there’s no better item to be photographed in than a pair of Maynooth GAA shorts."