Gaelic games commentator Micheal O Muircheartaigh dies aged 93

Legendary gaelic games commentator Micheal O Muircheartaigh has died at the age of 93.

The voice of the former RTE broadcaster from Co Kerry became synonymous with the GAA in Ireland during a career that spanned decades.

A teacher before he joined RTE full-time in the 1980s, O Muircheartaigh commentated in both the Irish and English languages.

His life as a sports commentator began many years before taking on the job full-time.

His first commentary was the Railway Cup final on St Patrick’s Day in 1949 while his last major assignment was the All-Ireland football final of 2010.

O Muircheartaigh died on Tuesday morning in the Mater Hospital in Dublin surrounded by family members.

President of Ireland Michael D Higgins and Taoiseach Simon Harris paid tribute to O Muircheartaigh. Mr Higgins said his “unmistakable voice” would be connected with some of the greatest GAA matches.

“His beautiful Irish delivered with a love of its sounds and sense to Gaelic games is a wonderful legacy that Micheal O Muircheartaigh leaves,” he said in a statement.

Mr Higgins said the renowned commentator “turned every match into an epic tale” and that his commentaries captured “like no other the sense of occasion, the atmosphere in the stadium and on the terraces, the ebb and flow of the play and of every movement”.

“Micheal’s encyclopaedic knowledge of players, their clubs, antecedents and relatives, his evocation of each parish and townland across the country, provided unparalleled insight to the listener and viewer.”

Mr Higgins also described him as “full of kindness and wry humour”, and an Irish language activist who was chairman of Bord na Gaeilge.

“May I express my deepest condolences to his family and many friends.”

Taoiseach Simon Harris said it was with “the heaviest of hearts” that he learned of Mr O Muircheartaigh’s death.

“The word ‘legend’ gets used too often, but for Micheal, it is almost not enough.

“His voice, his colour, his excitement, his love of sport, his turn of phrase were often as exhilarating as the action he was describing on the pitch as the audience held its breath for what Micheal would say next.”

He added: “For a generation of the Irish diaspora, Micheal was also a treasured link and the voice of home as they listened to GAA across the world.

“In person, he was a gentleman to his fingertips and filled a room with a quiet and dignified aura. May he rest in peace.”

Tanaiste Micheal Martin said O Muircheartaigh’s voice would be cherished forever.

“He was an iconic person in Irish broadcasting, and particularly in sporting broadcasting, an extraordinarily knowledgeable person with an incredible attention to detail,” said Mr Martin.

“He had a beautiful voice and for many of us immersed in sport as young children, he was the voice, Micheal O Muircheartaigh, particularly on radio, that brought to life even the dullest of games such was his anecdotal capacity to tell stories of families and the people behind the great headlines of sport.”

Mr Martin added: “He’s a voice that we will cherish forever and I know his death is something that will be greeted with incredible sadness through the length and breadth of our country.”

Kevin Bakhurst, the director-general of RTE, described the former commentator as “legendary”.

“He captured the essence of his beloved sports and brought them to life for generations,” he said.

“His love for gaelic games was matched only by his love for the Irish language and his native Kerry, and his legacy stands proudly as a seminal contributor to sporting life and culture in Ireland, to the life of his language, and the life of the nation.”

Declan McBennett, group head of RTE Sport, added: “Micheal was in a very exclusive club of broadcasting icons. His voice brought gaelic games to life and his words will live forever.

“He captivated a nation through his commentaries and his passion, knowledge, insight and wit were cherished by those who knew him through the wireless and the radio, through television and latterly on into the digital world.”