Obituary: Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh a Kerryman beloved across all of Ireland

SUCH was the affection for the late, great former RTÉ GAA commentator, Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh, that people all over Ireland and the global Irish community count him among their ‘friends’. His rich West Kerry voice, with its rhythmic cadences and musicality, was like a ham sandwich: Wholesome and nourishing.

As difficult as it is for a Cork man to say of a Kerryman, Mícheál was beloved in all of Ireland’s counties.

He was our favourite Kerry man. Of course, as devoutly Kerry as he was, inter-county rivalries meant nothing to him. If ever he commentated on a match involving his home county, there would be no hint of bias.

He was a ‘fear uasal’, the epitome of an old-fashioned nobility.

In the parish of Baile Mhúirne, like parishes all over Ireland and further afield, the community felt we had a special bond with Mícheál. Didn’t he come here to school in Coláiste Íosagáin, a preparatory college for ‘ábhar múinteoirí/teacher material’ students, shortly after it opened in 1940.

He was a classmate of my uncle, Peadar Ó Liatháin, suaimhneas síoraí go raibh acu beirt, and often visited our family home in Cúil Aodha to reminisce about their schooldays both in Íosagáin and, later, in St Pat’s in Drumcondra, where they both trained as primary teachers.

As former Cork goalie and Abbey Hotel proprietor, Mícheál Ó Críodáin, remarked on An Saol Ó Dheas on RTÉ Ráidió na Gaeltachta — his favourite radio programme, by all accounts, and the show that excelled in its coverage of the great man’s passing — he would always stop off in the village, if he could.

Des Cahill, of RTÉ, said that Ó Muircheartaigh went out of his way to stop off there.

At a rain-sodden Croke Park in September 2010, he gave his last RTÉ commentary: Cork beat Down to win the county’s last senior All-Ireland in hurling or football. We still heard him afterwards: He was a regular on An Saol Ó Dheas on the Monday after each championship weekend, giving Helen Ní Shé his version of the weekend’s sport. They were often hard weekends for Cork supporters, but I never listened to Mícheál and felt deflated. He always extended a glimmer of hope.

On Wednesday’s edition of An Saol Ó Dheas, Ó Muircheartaigh’s good friend, Mícheál Ó Sé, himself a veteran GAA commentator, the voice of minor All Irelands after Ó Muircheartaigh went to the senior grade when another legendary commentator, Mícheál Ó Hehir, died, told the story of how the Dún Síon man landed the RTÉ gig in 1948.

Apparently, Ó Muircheartaigh, as a Kerry man, had never been to a hurling match prior to being put in a room, far from any field of play, to give an account of a game.

As it happened, Mícheál knew that the son of the Dingle bank manager, Tadhg Hurley, was playing in goal. He wove a spell involving the same Tadhg appearing in every position on the pitch that entranced his auditioners.

They had to ask him to stop. His first match commentating was the Railway Cup Final on St Patrick’s Day 1949 and the rest we know.

He came to Cúil Aodha in recent years at the invitation of Peadar Ó Riada, who asked him to officiate at events during Féile na Laoch/Festival of Heroes, a festival that is held once every seven years and which includes a dusk-till-dawn concert on the banks of the Sullane River.

I remember standing next to him at the 2011 event, when he commentated as some Cork hurling and football heroes—, including Seán Óg Ó hAilpín and Briege Corkery — played some ball out on the nearby pitch, along with Ainle and Cairbre Ó Cairealláin (now the Limerick strength-and-conditioning coach), who were both playing with Na Piarsaigh.

Féile na Laoch,was last held in 2018 and Mícheál was there until the last note of ‘Mise Éire’ was played by an orchestra on the river-bank stage as the sun tried to poke its head through the drizzling clouds.

He was truly one of our greatest heroes and he will be missed when Féile na Laoch is held again, in August 2025.

For those who hold dear an ideal of a noble Ireland, his rich and uplifting voice will always be with us, ag sníomh go síodúil ó Bhéarla go Gaeilge, weaving like silk from English to Irish. Ar dhéis Dé go raibh a anam uasal Gaelach.