Michael Corcoran is probably a name not familiar to many people in Co Kilkenny. 'Who, the rugby commentator?' you may ask. No, but both do share a skill for media, albeit in very different ways... Corcoran (39), a native of South Kilkenny has had social media users in hysterics of laughter and at times, fits of rage, as people check their phones to see the latest goings on in world events. Users of all creeds and interests have viewed the local man's many witty, edgy and entertaining posts during spells as Head of Social Media at Paddy Power-Betfair and most recently at Ryanair as his posts under company names have captured the attention of millions around the world. READ NEXT: 'Momentous day' for Kilkenny as huge new project to be built on county's doorstep A native of the Rower to a local father and mother from Glenmore, Corcoran is very proud of his Kilkenny roots, living Noreside for the first 20 years of his life. But, despite reaching the 'heights' of some of the world's best known companies, his expectations were far lower growing up in rural Kilkenny. "My dream was to become a vet when I was young," he said. "Coming from a small rural background in the Rower, my aim always was and always will be to get back farming," Michael said, bemused that working for some of the world's leading companies has been a reality. "I never thought I would and I don’t think anyone would have. If you had told me 15 to 20 years ago that I’d be working as a full-time professional on some of the biggest brands in Europe posting content and managing social media accounts I'd laugh at you," the former Ryanair employee commented. "If you ask my mum and dad what I do they still couldn't tell you," he added with a smile, acknowledging it can be tricky to explain his job to the older demographic. In his formative years into adulthood, Michael discovered a pathway into the veterinary world wasn’t going to open up. As a period of uncertainty surrounding his future prospects followed, the Rower native was facing into the unknown trying a number of courses including a stint at a Health and Fitness degree in WIT. Luck wasn't on the Kilkenny man's side at this point but it didn't dissuade him. He took a punt and moved to Dublin with his hard-working attitude still firmly in his back pocket. A place in a marketing course and a media relations role at Leinster Rugby turned the tide back in his favour as a positive future for Michael began, with the social media dawn just around the corner. "Social Media came to town beside Marketing and PR and it came at the right time," he said. "I grew as the social media platforms grew and I got a like for it." And although his work ethos played a significant role in entering Paddy Power-Betfair and subsequently Ryanair, the self-confessed 'messer' does believe his personality was an aid when moving into the industry. I'm dyslexic but I didn’t know that until I was an adult. I knew I had problems with English and reading so I probably compensated by trying to grab attention to be accepted in school. I was always a creative individual, much to the annoyance of teachers and probably people around where I lived," he said. "I think that mischief allowed me to think outside the box and push the lines like I did in many, many ways." "I wasn't an unintelligent child; I was probably looking for attention because I wasn't getting it in other ways. I wasn't the best at sport or the coolest in the class - I was the little chubby guy and I used acting the clown to get attention and I bottled that over the years to use it and bring it into my career." However, despite enjoying the professional world of social media, the now Internet success does admit there is a serious side to it. "There's a perception that people who work in this line of work are a bunch of children on the Internet. I know you can't tell with my pink hair here right now but I'm not a young kid. There is a method to the madness," he said, adding, marketing and raising revenue are important aspects to multi-billion euro businesses. "Yes, posts are fast; they're quick in their wit and they lean in to a tone of voice. To craft that and to teach it to people takes time," he remarked. "The beauty about social media is when you put it out there the audience will decide whether it’s good or not, and if it’s not that’s ok because the beauty is social media moves on so fast." The most high-profile position Corcoran has held to date was at Ryanair who, according to the South Kilkenny native, operate their social media platforms differently to most other brands based on their heritage. "The main two reasons people go to social media is for entertainment and to escape the chaos of life," he said. Despite not recommending Ryanair's social media policies to every company, he hailed the strategy in the case of the Irish airline, highlighting the overly high expectations the public had for a 'low budget' airline and how it was used to benefit their social media. "Most of the problems people had were first world problems. Most people who fly Ryanair get from A to B at low cost and on time and that's the product. "For years Ryanair has been this joke. We wanted to change that by leaning in on the joke because people then laugh with you, not at you," said Corcoran. The policy of engaging online on topics of public interest also proved to be successful in Corcoran’s view, poking fun and increasing reach in the process. Now, as the Rower's greatest Internet hit talks about the Michael O'Leary business in the past-tense, what's next? "I stepped away for the right reasons and at the right time. I'm setting up a social media business," he said. "I'm very proud and humbled of what I did and the reaction to what I did on Ryanair." FOR MORE SOUTH KILKENNY NEWS, CLICK HERE