A glimpse into my All-Ireland week (Kieran McSweeney, TV3)
All-Ireland hurling final week is one of the biggest in Irish sport, but is also an enjoyable week and it is great to be involved, to get a chance to sample the atmosphere in both counties, talk with players and be present on the day. Then to have Cork in the final makes it all that bit sweeter.
Every day I am preparing material for the 5.30pm bulletin. Then you are constantly working on bits for the GAA show on Friday evening and the week concludes with TV3’s live coverage of the minor final on Sunday from noon.
It is very much a team effort here in TV3. It was difficult at the start of the week because we didn’t know exactly the minor final pairing. Once the DRA ruled against Limerick is when we really motored into gear.
I met the respective minor captains on Tuesday morning in Croke Park and there on in you are editing materials.
We are inundated with songs from the Cork and Clare camps and sometimes you will find some of them are useful.
The GAA show, as I said, is on Friday and that is our biggest of the year. There is a lot of work going into that this week. John Allen will provide the Cork perspective and Jamesie O’Connor will provide the Clare outlook. You are really kept on your toes.
I suppose the Ireland match and Kieran McGeeney’s departure as Kildare manager have really been spanners in the works because they have to be covered also, at the same time, you are trying to devote every waking minute to the hurling final coverage.”
