GAA President Burns leads tributes to Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh

GAA President Jarlath Burns summed up the feelings of the nation in his tribute to the late Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh.

The death of the renowned RTÉ commentator was announced on Tuesday. He was 93 years old.

"It was with great sadness that I learnt of the terrible news of the passing of a giant of Irish broadcasting and the gentleman that was Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh," said Burns.

"He was for so long an iconic figure across the GAA landscape and indeed Irish life as a whole, with an incomparable voice and an almost poetic ability, in not one, but two languages.

"His voice and literary skills provided the backdrop to some of the greatest days in Irish sport and his empathy and understanding of our games and Irish life was second to none.

"I offer my condolences and those of our members to his wife Helena and their eight children, his wider family and his wide circle of friends and admirers."

A native of Dún Síon outside Dingle, Ó Muircheartaigh worked as a teacher in Dublin and commentated for the first time on St Patrick's Day 1949, an all-Irish calling of the Railway Cup finals.

Following the retirement of Micheál O'Hehir, Ó Muircheartaigh became RTÉ's lead radio commentator in 1985 and covered his last All-Ireland finals in 2010.

A heartfelt tribute on the Kerry County Board website summed up the deep appreciation he had for Gaelic games and those playing them.

"Mícheál covered every inch of the country covering sports," it said, "and would always paint a player in the most positive light that he could. 

"He could very beautifully make a point about a player’s performance but with the utmost respect and support for the individual. It meant as much to the GAA great as it did to every player and supporter across the county."

His unique turn of phrase and ability to paint a picture of the action in front of him endeared him to many. 

Cork featured among some of his most legendary utterances - of Seán Óg Ó hAilpín, Ó Muircheartaigh noted that "his father's from Fermanagh and his mother's from Fiji, neither a hurling stronghold," while the successful Cork team of late 1980s and early 1990s allowed him to describe a passage of play featuring, "Teddy McCarthy to Mick McCarthy - no relation - and back to Teddy McCarthy - still no relation."

Beyond that, he showed great proficiency as a trainer of inter-county players based in Dublin. This started with those from his native Kerry but the stable quickly expanded. In 1986, six players under his tutelage - Mick Spillane and Jack O’Shea (Kerry), Kevin McStay and Dermot Flanagan (Mayo), Ciaran Murray (Monaghan) and Brendan Lynskey (Galway hurler) - won All-Star awards.

In 2021, another of those who availed of Ó Muircheartaigh's services, Tomás Ó Flaharta, arranged a reunion of the players who had been involved and the large turnout underlined the respect and regard that they had for him.

"It was something that went on over a few decades and which was very significant for a lot of players," said Ó Flaharta at the time. 

"Because of him, players won county championships, provincial championships, All-Irelands, All-Stars. He helped players achieve big things and to create history."