Daryl appears on Late Late Show

Nenagh's famous actor Daryl McCormack spoke about the passion he had for hurling as a child growing up in the town when he appeared on the Late Late Show last Friday night.

The 30-year-old also recalled wearing the Éire Óg jersey as captain of the local club's Under 12 football team.

Show host Ryan Tubridy suggested to him that he seemed to be more proud of that achievement than his two current nominations as best emerging actor and best lead actor in the British Academy Film Awards (BAFTAs).

McCormack went on to relate his “passion” for hurling with Éire Óg as a teenager. “I played hurling for years and it was definitely a massive passion,” he revealed.

“I think it was all down to the small community: you see the passion in the town for the sport and the way everyone comes together for it,” he said.

“Sport was something I fell into and gravitated towards, but I think I hit my peak in hurling at around 15 or 16, and it kind of went downhill after that.”

McCormack went on to pay tribute to his paternal grandfather Percy Thomas for inspiring him to become an actor.

He told the audience that Percy, who is now 80, had been in acting and the film industry most of his life and was still involved in the business, operating his own theatre company with his wife Alice in Maryland, USA.

“He has been a massive support to me my whole life,” McCormack revealed, and said Percy would be his “wing man” at the forthcoming BAFTA awards.

Separately, on Saturday morning last while being interviewed on Ireland AM programme on Virgin Meda Television, McCormack revealed how his acting career began with Nenagh Choral Society.

“I was in the Choral Society for a few years; that's where I started off really,” he said.

McCormack said the society had shown great support to him over the years. “It's that kind of thing: in Nenagh we like to take pride in our own,” he said.

Asked if he ever got ‘slagged’ about all his success when he goes home to Nenagh, he said: “No, I honestly get so much support going home.

“I'm in my local newspaper, The Nenagh Guardian every few weeks more or less; there's just so much support from everyone.”

He added: “I think they see Daryl - that younger part of myself - always wanting to do this...there's just nothing but support.”