Beloved GAA commentator Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh dies aged 93

Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh, a longtime and beloved GAA commentator, died on Tuesday, June 25.

Ó Muircheartaigh, 93, died on Tuesday morning in the Mater Hospital in Dublin surrounded by his family, according to RTÉ News.

He is survived by his wife, Helena (née McDowell), sons Aonghus, Cormac, and Éamonn, and daughters Doireann, Éadaoin, Neasa, Niamh, and Nuala.

Born in Dún Síon just outside Dingle, Co Kerry in August 1930, Ó Muircheartaigh's first language was Irish which he used in his compelling commentaries throughout his career.

Indeed, his first assignment for RTÉ was to provide an all-Irish commentary on the 1949 Railway Cup Final on St. Patrick’s Day.

He began broadcasting commentaries in English on RTÉ Radio in 1956, and also covered All-Ireland Minor Semi-Finals and Finals in both hurling and football in the Irish language on RTÉ for over 25 years from the inception of television coverage in 1962.

A qualified teacher, Ó Muircheartaigh taught economics in primary and secondary schools in Dublin up until the 1980s when he became a full-time broadcaster with RTÉ. Upon Mícheál O’Hehir's retirement from broadcasting in the mid-1980s, he took over as RTÉ’s premier commentator.

His career in RTÉ went on to span over 60 years and even landed him in the Guinness Book of World Records in 2010 as having had "longest career as a live match commentator." The record still stands today.

Ó Muircheartaigh provided commentary on his last All-Ireland Final on Sunday, September 19, 2010, when Cork faced Down in the football final at Croke Park. He fully retired from broadcasting later that year, but remained a fixture in the world of Gaelic games.

Marty Morrissey, RTÉ's Gaelic games correspondent, warmly recalled Ó Muircheartaigh's life and career on Tuesday.

"His beautiful accent, his unique turn of phrase, and ability to paint pictures with words captured the minds and hearts of his listeners, the people of Ireland and abroad," Morrissey said.

Jarlath Burns, President of the GAA, told RTÉ Radio's News at 1 on Tuesday: "Firstly as a former county player with Armagh, we always wanted Mícheál to be commentating on our games because we just knew that Mícheál would weave those little magic spells and we always wanted to hear him say our names, that's how much of a legend Mícheál was to us."

Burns said Ó Muircheartaigh had "incredible, magical abilities as a commentator."

Remarking on Ó Muircheartaigh's embrace of the Irish language, Burns said: "He could just weave this little bit of Irish in and as a result of that, that was almost a precursor to TG4 taking with full Irish commentary because Mícheál almost prepared us for that.

"Whenever he got really excited, he would throw the Irish in because that was his first language coming from West Kerry and that was the language that he grew up with.

"He did so much for the Irish language in a very unobtrusive, beautiful, elegant, gentle way by just casting it into the middle of his commentary."

John Horan, the previous President of the GAA, offered similarly warm regards on the occasion of Ó Muircheartaigh's 90th birthday in 2020: "Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh is as synonymous with Gaelic games as Croke Park, Semple Stadium, St Tiernach’s Park or Dr. Hyde Park.

“For those who couldn’t be there at a game – there was still the chance to feel like you were there.

“To surf the wave of excitement and drama and to be carried away and feel as much a part of the action as if you were sitting pitch side in person.

“That was Mícheál's gift.

“It was delivered in an inimitable style that enabled you connect with players and not just be in awe of them as sportspeople, but getting a sense of who they were through the personal knowledge and anecdotes that were imparted so expertly along the way.

“His respect for the games and the players was paramount.

“It was matched by his professionalism and attention to detail. He had a commitment to being the eyes and ears of the person at home; either in a kitchen, a fireside or a car somewhere in Ireland – or indeed in far-flung outposts where the Irish Diaspora would step on board a vision and follow with the wind that was Micheál’s unique commentary.

“That he could switch between Bearla and Gaeilge without missing a beat or losing a listener was another example of a master communicator at work.

“He was a national institution long before he called his last game and we in the GAA are delighted to send him our best wishes and celebrate in this magnificent milestone."

Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh's best quotes

"Seán Óg Ó hAilpín: his father’s from Fermanagh, his mother’s from Fiji. Neither a hurling stronghold."

"…and Brian Dooher is down injured. And while he is, I’ll tell ye a little story: I was in Times Square in New York last week, and I was missing the Championship back home. So I approached a newsstand and I said, “I suppose ye wouldn’t have The Kerryman, would ye?” To which, the Egyptian behind the counter turned to me and he said, “Do you want the North Kerry edition, or the South Kerry edition?” He had both – so I bought both. And Dooher is back on his feet…"

"Anthony Lynch, the Cork corner-back, will be the last person to let you down – his people are undertakers."

"Colin Corkery on the 45 lets go with the right boot. Its over the bar. This man shouldn’t be playing football. He’s made an almost Lazarus-like recovery from a heart condition. Lazarus was a great man but he couldn’t kick points like Colin Corkery."

"The stopwatch has stopped. It’s up to God and the referee now. The referee is Pat Horan. God is God."

"Teddy McCarthy to Mick McCarthy, no relation, Mick McCarthy back to Teddy McCarthy, still no relation."

"I saw a few Sligo people at Mass in Gardiner Street this morning and the omens seem to be good for them. The priest was wearing the same colours as the Sligo jersey! 40 yards out on the Hogan Stand side of the field, Ciarán Whelan goes on a rampage… it’s a goal! So much for religion."

"He grabs the sliothar, he’s on the 50! He’s on the 40! He’s on the 30… he’s on the ground!"

"Pat Fox out to the forty and grabs the sliothar. I bought a dog from his father last week. Fox turns and sprints for goal… the dog ran a great race last Tuesday in Limerick… Fox, to the 21, fires a shot – it goes to the left and wide… and the dog lost as well."

"In the first half they played with the wind. In the second half they played with the ball."

"1-5 to 0-8… well, from Lapland to the Antarctic, that’s level scores in any man’s language."

"Pat Fox has it on his hurl and is motoring well now, but here comes Joe Rabbitte hot on his tail… I’ve seen it all now, a Rabbitte chasing a Fox around Croke Park!"

"Teddy looks at the ball, the ball looks at Teddy…"

"Mike Houlihan for Limerick. He had his jaw broken by a kick from a bullock two months ago. He’s back now. ‘Twas some bullock that broke Mike Houlihan’s jaw!"