'Niall an inspiration for all of us', says rising star Conor

Impressionist Conor Moore is thankful to Niall Horan

Eoin Murphy

Mimic Conor Moore has revealed how One Direction star Niall Horan has turned Mullingar into a "creative hotspot".

Moore (30) is the first Irish impressionist to break into the US TV market and is now based full-time in Florida.

He says the One Direction singer has given the likes of him, actress Niamh Algar and musician Niall Breslin the confidence to succeed.

"Bressie and Niall are very good-looking, so I suppose I had to be funny," he said.

Huge

"Niamh as well, she grew up beside me in the countryside and you could throw a stone from her house to mine, we're that close in Mullingar.

Niall Horan

"She has been ploughing away at the acting and now she has just gone huge.

"I was chatting to her recently and we were both wondering what it is and we decided that it was the Niall Horan effect.

"Niall has shown all of us that the impossible can happen and it inspires you.

"You look at where he has come from and what he has done, he's Hollywood big, and you just think that anyone can do that.

"He proved to us all that it can be done. I find Mullingar to be a really positive and creative place where young people are taking chances."

Moore gained national fame taking off the likes of Joe Brolly and Ger Loughnane before making it big online in the States, creating viral videos for NBC's golf channel.

In recent months, CBS and Rory McIlroy have invested heavily in Moore's talents, signing him up to what is reportedly a $1m (€916,000) contract.

The result is The Conor Moore Show, a "nearly live" look back at the biggest sports stories from around the world.

The first episode premiered on Tuesday and was broadcast to millions of online subscribers.

"I'm so thrilled with how it is going," said Moore.