James Nesbitt Still On A High Following All-Ireland Final Appearance

Actor James Nesbitt has maintained that he is still on a high having attended the All Ireland senior hurling final between Clare and Cork last weekend.

Last Sunday, Clare saw off Cork by a solitary point after extra time, in arguably one of the greatest Liam McCarthy deciders of all time. 

Nesbitt who was part of BBC's coverage of the biggest day in hurling, said that last Sunday, he witnessed "the heartbeat of a nation that I hadn't been part of before".

"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 recalled. "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," Nesbitt added. "It was as good a sporting event as I've ever been to in my life". 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Neil McManus (@neil_mcmanus)

Speaking to the host, James Nesbitt also outlined the number of stadia that he has attended over the years, from watching Ballymena United in the early days, to the big names like AC Milan's San Siro in Italy.

"Listen, 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!", he said. "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", the Cold Feet star added. "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". 

"Honest to God, it was really a remarkable day. I felt hugely privileged to be there". 

Elsewhere, James Nesbitt also spoke his taking part in the Marie Keating Foundation's pro-am golf tournament at Kildare's K Club on Thursday, raising funds for cancer support and awareness. 

"I've been involved with the Marie Keating Foundation for years," he said. "It's a great thing to be involved in".