Football pundit Brian Kerr in Donegal as he backs Ballyshannon’s Rory Gallagher Festival all the way

There’s a saying ‘never meet your heroes, because they're sure to disappoint you’, so with that thought nagging at the back of my mind, I stood off former Ireland soccer boss Brian Kerr for a while last night in Ballyshannon before I chanced my arm and said hello to him.

By that stage Kerr was on first name terms with more than half of the 280 people, including my two sons Ben and Joey, who had flocked to the Abbey Centre in the town for a special event that had nothing to do with football.

It was the launch of the 17th annual Rory Gallagher Festival and Kerr, incognito, (until he spoke), had drifted into the Abbey Centre unheralded, if not unseen.

But the locals are no daws and after a “yer man looks like Brian Kerr” moment, someone went over to him, stuck out a hand and said hello to the man that ‘looked like Brian Kerr’.

Turns out the look-alike was the real deal, confirmed beyond reasonable doubt when he said “howya” back; that unmistakable Dublin twang ending any argument.

By the time I got to him, Kerr had finished an interview on local radio station Ocean FM. For more than half an hour a bottle of 7up he held in his hand remained unopened, such was the stream of people heading in his direction to have a chat. His ready smile an open invitation to those who wanted a word or a photo.

I didn’t hear the radio interview as I wear another hat when I’m in the Abbey Centre. The hordes arrived and seats were becoming scarce, but we sorted that problem out quickly and when I went back to the foyer Brian was still there chatting a mile a minute and eventually we got to have a few brief words.

All I can say is in terms of meeting this hero, I was far from disappointed.

When I asked him how he thought Saturday night’s Champions League Final will go, he qualified his answer by outing himself and admitting a life-long love for Spurs, so once I heard that I forget who he said would win. Bearing in mind his work as an analyst for Virgin Media Sport, perhaps it’s best I don’t spoil that on him and viewers on Saturday night.

I suggested to him that in his time as Ireland manager as the end of his term approached, he wasn’t shown much love from his bosses.  He diplomatically side-stepped any reply and we moved on to the reason he was in Ballyshannon.

Kerr is a Rory Gallagher fan and a fan of all good music.

Later in the centre’s Rory Gallagher Theatre, as the multi-talented Sligo-man Seamie O’Dowd belted out songs that, in truth, are only vaguely familiar to me, I noticed Kerr lip-syncing every word. In a world of his own, he finally got the bottle of 7up opened and he was loving what he was hearing from Seamie, the band and later Johnnie Gallagher of Boxtie who made a guest appearance.

After the show he was in great demand having been welcomed off the stage by compere/presenter Shane Smyth. By that stage there was no chance of him going unnoticed, not that he would want to, as he was clearly comfortable and affable as he spoke to dozens of people and posed for photographs after the launch night concert.

Later on last night I spotted him again in the Bridgend Bar which is owned by Donegal County GAA chairman Mick McGrath. If he was chatting GAA to Mick who knows, but he certainly was there to enjoy the maestro Johnny ‘Boxtie’ Gallagher make a guitar talk.

I was going to go over and chat him again, but decided to leave him in peace or in this case his heaven.

If you want to hear how Kerr thinks the Champions League final will go, turn on Virgin Media on Saturday night.

At some stage on Saturday Brian will have to leave Ballyshannon earlier than he might wish, to make the pre-match panel but no doubt he’ll be comforted by the fact that there will be a Donegal man, Tommy Martin, asking him the questions.

You just can’t get away from us ….