Having to sit through a mini Eurovision Song Contest before finding out who we'd get was a bit of a trial, alright, writes MARY HANNIGAN

JONATHAN PEARCE was tingling. “It’s very, very exciting – we’ll have politics, the Ukraine president is speaking, we’ll have Ukrainian culture, there’s a dance troupe here, there’s Cossacks, there’s a singer as well, we’ll see video tape of all the venues, how the countries qualified. Very, very exciting times ahead.”

You half feared, then, the draw wouldn’t be done in time for the start of the tournament in June.

“Are you looking forward to the extravaganza Mark?” asked Gary Lineker.

“No,” said Lawrenson.

He wasn’t alone, if we were all honest about it. “Thirty-odd minutes just to draw the balls out? Let’s just get on with it,” he sighed.

And the thing is, the last time we were involved in a draw of this magnitude was 10 years ago last Thursday when poor old Germany, Cameroon and Saudi Arabia had the misfortune to be pitted against us.

We’ve waited a while, then, so having to sit through a mini Eurovision Song Contest before finding out who we’d get this time around was a bit of a trial.

Over on Sky Sports News, Brian Kerr and Phil Babb were in the Irish corner, Glenn Hoddle and Alan Smith wearing three lions on their chests. “You don’t want the group of death,” noted Hoddle, and Brian, Phil and Alan couldn’t disagree.

Back on the BBC and it was time for a quick chat with a few legends over in Kiev, like the Soviet Union’s Viktor Ponedelnik.

“I wish I could tell you what he’s saying, but I haven’t the foggiest,” said Jonathan, which was helpful. Happily our host Olga translated for us. Viktor was looking forward to Euro 2012, very much.

Back again to Sky where Kerr admitted to being a bit puzzled by Giovanni Trapattoni’s preferences for the draw. “He doesn’t want the hosts, Poland or Ukraine, he doesn’t want Spain, he doesn’t want England, he doesn’t want Germany . . . there’s hardly any one he wants to play.”

Time for the official match ball to be introduced. Would they interview it? No, but they had a word with Sergei Bubka, the pole-vaulting maestro. “Are the stadiums ready,” he was asked. “Sadly not, all I see are mountains of concrete blocks that have yet to be assembled,” he didn’t reply, but it would have been a right blast if he had.

Ah, welcome RTÉ, their late arrival meaning they missed the dancing Cossacks. Darragh Moloney, Ray Houghton and Eamon Dunphy looking suitably gutted.

Dunphy wanted Poland, Italy and Sweden in the draw. Houghton? “I’m just delighted to be there.” You had to hope Roy hadn’t his satellite dish tuned in to RTÉ, otherwise he would have lit up the Montrose switchboard.

Draw time. Peter Collins tried to explain how it would work, but he generously overestimated the ability of some us to compute mathematical equations along the lines of C1 – B2 + A3 – D4 divided by Gdansk and multiplied by Poznan = rocketing Ryanair and Aer Lingus fares.

Right, off we went. The Godlike Zinedine Zidane. And then he put us in with Spain. You know, he was a good player, not a great player.

John Delaney smiled. Giovanni Trapattoni didn’t. Keith Andrews and Glenn Whelan v Xavi and Iniesta? That’s not funny.

“Fáilte,” said Gianni Infantino, the Uefa general secretary, the silver-tongued divil.

And then Zinedine gave us Croatia. Slaven Bilic winked. And then Marco van Basten gave us Italy. Ah lads.

But back in the studio the panel wasn’t quivering. At all. “Absolutely brilliant,” said Houghton, “I don’t think it’s terrifying,” said Dunphy.

Trapattoni looked happy enough, too, when he spoke to Tony O’Donoghue, although he advised caution. “It’s no easy, Croatia,” he said, and reminded us Italy and Spain had “famoos players”.

Bilic spoke to Tony too. “It is a privilege to play the world champions and the former world champions. And the Republic of Ireland,” he said, almost forgetting us. “I’m big time looking forward to it,” he beamed.

Us too. And after that draw, the only way, surely, is up.