Northern Ireland

Brian O'Driscoll: Ex-Irish rugby captain visits Orange parade

Brian O'Driscoll, former Ireland rugby captain, visited an Orange march in Co Armagh as part of a new TV show
Brian O'Driscoll, former Ireland rugby captain, visited an Orange march in Co Armagh as part of a new TV show Brian O'Driscoll, former Ireland rugby captain, visited an Orange march in Co Armagh as part of a new TV show

FORMER Irish rugby captain Brian O'Driscoll was among visitors to an Orange parade in Co Armagh.

He was in the village of Loughgall which hosted the flagship event for the Orange Order's annual July 12 commemoration this year.

Co Armagh man Ivor Whitten snapped a selfie with the sporting star just before the main parade started.

Posting the photograph to his Instagram account, Mr Whitten commented: "Just bumping into brianodriscoll in #Loughgall As you do. Absolute star and lovely guy."

O'Driscoll tweeted this morning that he was in Northern Ireland to film a documentary about how rugby as a sport "unifies the country", adding that he was "meeting some great people" and was looking forward to the documentary being aired in the autumn on BT Sport.

The Dublin man captained the Irish rugby team from 2003 to 2012 and also captained the British and Irish Lions tour in 2005 in New Zealand.

He retired from the sport in 2014 and has since been working as a pundit for BT Sport.

O'Driscoll even tried his hand at playing a Lambeg drum during his visit to the parade.