Essays

Micheál Ó Muircheartiagh was born on August 20th, 1930 in Dún Síon, Dingle, Co.Kerry. He was christened Micheál Moriarty and was the fourth child of eight. Micheál’s home had contained no Radio and his earliest memory of a match commentary on the Radio was at a neighbour’s house in 1939. From that day, he was fascinated by the Radio and Micheál O’Hehir’s voice in particular.

Micheál was raised on the family farm and was educated locally. In 1945, he began to train to be a Teacher in an all-Irish school that changed his name from Micheal Moriarty to Micheál O’Muircheartiagh. In September 1948, he began the final year of his teacher training in St. Patrick’s College in Dublin.

In 1949, he went with ten students from his college to do a test commentary at a hurling match. Micheál had never seen a hurling game before. The students each did five minutes of commentary all in Irish and the best would be selected for further commentary work. Micheál did well and was the one that was selected to do further commentary. O’Muircheartiagh is known well for his unique way of speaking.

Here are some quotes –

“1-5 to 0-8 … well from Lapland to Antarctic that level scores in any mans language.”

In the first half, they played with the wind… In the second half, they played with the ball.”

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

After a brilliant 62 years of commentary, he has retired. It will be hard for the G.A.A. to find a man of such wit and wisdom again.

Micheál O’Muircheartiagh is at the age of 80. He was born on the 20th August, 1930. He lived in a small village called Dún Síon in Dingle, Co.Kerry. His father’s name was Timothy and his nickname was Thady. His mother’s name was Catherine Quinn from Coum Bowler. He had three brothers and four sisters. Their names are Paidraig, Eileen, Nais, Donal, Maire, Siobhán and Kathleen. Micheál came fourth in a family of eight. All of his family spoke Irish.

In May, 1936, he went to school in the Presentation Convent in Dingle. At the age of eight, he went to the Christian Brother’s school in Baile Bhuirne Co.Cork. In September, 1948, he went to St.Patrick’s College in Dublin to become a Teacher. While in College, he went to all the football matches. In March, 1949 he was selected as a commentator to broadcast matches for Radio Eireann.

His first broadcast was a hurling match. He had never seen a hurling match before. On St. Patrick’s day in 1949, he broadcasted the Railway Cup Final and he was paid six pounds for the job. He enjoyed his work and became the voice of the G.A.A. from 1949 – 2010. He has a unique and personal style of broadcasting.

He knew all players and their talents. He had nicknames for some of the great players. His voice would travel around the world to be enjoyed by Irish emigrants on All Ireland Final Day.

He was greatly loved and will be missed on the airwaves.

Micheál O’Muircheartiagh was born on the 20th of August, 1930 in Dún Síon, Dingle, Co.Kerry. In a career that spanned six decades, he has become to be regarded as the natural successor of Micheál O’ Hehir as the voice of Gaelic Games.

Micheál was the fourth child out of eight. His home, like many homes in Ireland at the time, contained no Radio. His first time listening to a match on radio was in his neighbour’s house in 1939. From that point on, Micheál was fascinated with the Radio.

O’Muircheartiagh grew up on a family farm and was educated in Dingle, Co.Kerry. In September, 1945, in Co.Cork where he was training to be a Teacher, his name changed from Micheál Moriarty to Micheál O’Muircheartiagh. In September 1948, he began his final year of his teaching training in St. Patrick’s College in Dublin.

In early March, 1949, along with ten other students, a test of commentating on a hurling game took place in Croke Park. Each student had to commentate for five minutes in Irish. The most successful would receive more commentary work.

O’Muircheartiagh has never seen a game of hurling in his life. O’Muircheartiagh was selected and his first assessment was to provide an all-Irish commentary on the 1949 Railway Cup Final on St. Patrick’s Day. He is also the main commentator on Gaelic Games Football on the Play Station 2.

On September 16th, 2010, he announced his retirement from broadcasting. On Sunday, 19th September, he commentated his last G.A.A. match when Cork bet Down by a single point in the All Ireland Football final. O’Muircheartiagh will commentate the International Rules Test Match this year. Micheál O’Muircheartiagh was known as one of the best commentators in the world and will stay in our memories forever.