Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh

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Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh (pronounced Murahurtig) (born August 29, 1930) is an Irish Gaelic Games commentator for Radio Telifís Éireann. He is the natural successor of Michael O'Hehir as the "Voice of Gaelic Games."



Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh was born in Dún Síon just outside An Daingean, County Kerry, in 1930. He was christened Mícheál Moriarty and was the fourth child in a family of eight. Like many homes in Ireland at the time Ó Muircheartaigh's house contained no radio. His earliest memory of listening to a match commentary was at a neighbour's house in 1939. From that point on he was fascinated by the radio and the voice of Micheál O'Hehir in particular. Ó Muircheartaigh grew up on the family farm and was educated locally in Dingle. In September 1945 he began studying at Coláiste Íosagáin in Baile Bhúirne in the County Cork Gaeltacht where he was in training to be a teacher. It was at this all-Irish school that his name changed from Mícheál Moriarty to Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh. In September 1948 he began the final year of his teacher training at St. Patrick's College in Dublin.

'Twas a new game to me. But I knew one person. He was in goal for UCD and his name was Tadhg Hurley. He went to school in Dingle and he had hurling because his father was a bank manager and had spent time in Tipperary or Cork. The moment my minute started, he was saving a fantastic shot. And he cleared it away out, I can still see it, out over the sideline, Cusack Stand side of the field, eighty yards out. But it was deflected out by a member of the opposition. The adjudicators couldn't see that that didn't happen. Who was called out to take the line-ball? The only person I knew, Tadhg Hurley. And he took a beautiful line-ball - Christy Ring never took better. He landed it down in front of the Railway goal, there was a dreadful foul on the full-forward, and there was a penalty. And who was called up to take the penalty? Tadhg Hurley. 'Twas the best individual display ever seen in Croke Park. It took him at least a minute to come from the Canal goal up. And while he was coming up I spoke about his brother Bob, who was in Donal's class, and his sister who used to come out to Dún Síon strand during the summer. So eventually he took the penalty. I've seen DJ Carey, I've seen Nicky Rackard, I've seen Christy Ring. None of them could ever equal the display he gave that day... Sin mar a thosaigh sé!"

– Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh, http://www.rte.ie/laweb/smil/t07/t07_momuircheartaigh_llshow_tv.



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