GAA commentator Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh dies aged 93

Legendary gaelic games commentator Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh has died at the age of 93.

Mr Ó Muircheartaigh was born in Dún Síon just outside Daingean Uí Chúis (Dingle), Co Kerry, in 1930 and worked as a teacher.

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

He continued teaching up until the mid-1980s when he became a full-time broadcaster with RTÉ.

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Mr Ó Muircheartaigh took over as RTÉ Radio 1’s premier radio commentator when Míchael O’Hehir retired from broadcasting in 1985.

His last All-Ireland final came in 2010, when he commentated on Cork’s win over Down in the football decider, and he retired from broadcasting in October of that year.

Speaking in 2010 ahead of his retirement, he said his work “enabled me to meet and get to know generations of great sportsmen and women and many of those associated with them”.

“It was an honour for me to be at the source of this wonderful entertainment, to be part of a continuous and successful venture,” he said.

He died this morning in the Mater Hospital, Dublin surrounded by his family.

Watch: Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh recalls his audition to become a commentator

‘A gentleman to his fingertips’

The Taoiseach has described Mr Ó Muircheartaigh as “a gentleman to his fingertips” who “filled a room with a quiet and dignified aura”.

In a statement Simon Harris said: “The word ‘legend’ gets used too often, but for Mícheál, 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 Mícheál would say next.”

Tánaiste Micheál Martin also paid tribute to the “iconic” Mr Ó Muicheartaigh who he said had extraordinary knowledge and a beautiful voice “that brought to life even the dullest of games”.

RTÉ Director-General Kevin Bakhurst said Mr Ó Muicheartaigh’s “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.”