Alastair Campbell tells Creedon he'd have preferred a pint with McGuinness rather than Adams

Author and former Tony Blair press secretary, Alastair Campbell, has said he would have preferred to go for pint with Martin McGuinness over his party colleague, Gerry Adams.

The former Downing Street spin doctors said he liked both politicians but there was something "very, very special" about the late McGuinness and that while Gerry Adams was more a "philosopher type politician" Martin McGuinness had a "directness" which Campbell admired.

Campbell made his comments during an interview with broadcaster John Creedon for the RTÉ series 'John Creedon's Road Less Travelled' which airs on Sunday night.

He went on: “You get a lot of stick for saying this because it’s the past but the truth is what has happened with the Good Friday Agreement and 20 years of relative peace and prosperity that followed it, it would not have happened if these guys had not taken a different path and I think people have to acknowledge that.”

The Cork man is travelling from Dublin to Belfast to bring the hidden stories from along the M1 to life.

Campbell went on to reveal the impact he felt Brexit would have on the Good Friday Agreement.

“You have to be careful not to go over the top but I just think that Brexit is a catastrophe.”

On his way to Meet Campbell John was also "detained" at a fake-customs post set up by lobby group Border Communities against Brexit.

The organiser Declan Fearon told the Cork man it has been set up to remind people of what a nightmare customs posts were.

On John's visit Declan also shows John his local church which is located in the south but whose graveyard is in the North and a house whose extension is in the north despite the fact that the main house is in the South.

Also in Sunday's show John meets Brendan Murphy of the band The 4 of Us in Newry and after a trip up the 'Magic Hill' hears the teenage love story behind their hit song ‘Mary’.

Watch this and much more in the the third not to be missed instalment of 'The Road Less Travelled' which airs on RTÉ 1 at 6.30pm this Sunday.

- Digital Desk