Tribute to Micheál O'Muircheartiagh on his retirement. By Kate.

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.