Renowned GAA commentator and personality Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh has died, it has been announced. He was 93.
Ó Muircheartaigh was the voice of Gaelic games commentary on RTÉ for more than 70 years.
He did his first commentary in 1949, covering the Railway Cup final on St Patrick’s Day in Irish and signed off after the 2010 All-Ireland football final between Cork and Down.
During that time, he endeared himself to listeners with his unique voice and command of language, both Irish and English.
When Míchael O’Hehir retired from broadcasting in 1985, Ó Muircheartaigh became the main RTÉ radio commentator for Gaelic games.
Originally from Dún Síon outside Dingle, he grew up on the family farm and graduated as a primary school teacher and later secondary school teacher, spending much of his working life in Dublin.
While in Dublin, he often took charge of training the Kerry players during Mick O’Dwyer’s years as manager.
In 2020, to mark his 90th birthday, the GAA paid tribute to him with then GAA president John Horan describing him 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,” Horan said at the time.