James Nesbitt 'astonished' by Clare v Cork in All-Ireland hurling final as part of BBC team
Ballymena actor James Nesbitt was part of the BBC's coverage for the hurling showdown
This weekend's All-Ireland Senior Football Championship final between Armagh and Galway has a lot to live up to after Clare and Cork produced an all-time classic in last week's hurling decider.
Ballymena actor James Nesbitt was part of the BBC's coverage for the hurling showdown and revealed that it was only the second time he had attended a hurling match.
The 59-year-old, who has attended some massive sporting events in the past, said the Croke Park classic is right up there with the very best of them, reports Belfast Live.
READ MORE: Armagh v Galway All-Ireland final preview, prediction and verdict
"I was invited first of all two years ago to my first hurling match - an All-Ireland semi-final between Limerick and Galway - by Neil McManus, the great Antrim hurler," Nesbitt said on The Ray D'Arcy Show on RTÉ Radio 1.
"And then the BBC, dare I say it, were doing it this year and they were covering it in Britain and he asked me down again. I was there along with people like Dara Ó Briain and David O'Doherty and Siobhán McSweeney just to kind of like... well, A) to go and watch it, but maybe also to cast a wee eye on it and try and make some comments for those that were watching across the water.
"And it was astonishing. It was as good a sporting event as I've ever been to in my life. I grew up watching Ballymena [United], so I've been to some good ones and some bad ones! And then I supported Coleraine for a few years when they were doing a bit better!" the Cold Feet star added.
"I've been to the San Siro. Obviously, I've been to Old Trafford a lot. I've been to the Nou Camp. But it was amazing - you almost have to see it twice to really get imbued with it.
"And, you know, it didn't take an eejit who was from a different background to understand what he was witnessing was something rather special. And not only the fact that there were young boys who were going back to work on a Tuesday, but also that the skill and the stamina and the speed - the completely non-let-up of the thing, you know?
"But also, you couldn't help but feel as you were looking at the different colours - the red of Cork, the Rebels, and the yellow of the Banner County - all sitting beside each other. It was glorious. It certainly felt in a way that I was witnessing the heartbeat of a nation that I hadn't been part of before. It was sensational."
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