gay byrne, mike murphy and now micheal all gone its a pity these lads were legends when i was growing up

moddy91 (Tipperary) - Posts: 226 - 16/09/2010 20:49:16    776462

Amazing man!Absolutely fantastic,what a commentator.Listening to a match in the car just wont be the same.I am so sad but fair play to him,working 61 years,not a bad record

dubs4eva (Dublin) - Posts: 484 - 16/09/2010 21:06:21    776487

A few others

"I see John O Donnell dispensing water on the sideline. Tipperary, sponsored by a water company. Cork Sponsored by a tae company. I wonder will they meet later for afternoon tae".

..."Teddy looks at the ball, the ball looks at Teddy".

"Danny "The Yank" Culloty. He came down from the mountains and hasn't he done well".

"He grabs the sliotar, he's on the 50......he's on the 40......he's on the 30....... he's on the ground".

"In the first half they played with the wind. In the second half they played with the ball".

"He kicks the ball lan san aer, could've been a goal, could've been a point.............it went wide".

"Stephen Byrne with the puck out for Offaly....Stephen, one of 12......all but one are here to-day, the one that's missing is Mary, she's at home minding the house.....and the ball is dropping i lar na bpairce...."

kerryhurlingman (Kerry) - Posts: 15 - 16/09/2010 21:35:43    776523

Many highlights, but Tipp halting Cats stands out for Micheál
By Brendan O'Brien

Friday, September 17, 2010



Read more: http://www.examiner.ie/sport/gaa/many-highlights-but-tipp-halting-cats-stands-out-for-micheal-131052.html#ixzz0zm5Wyx4s

Michael O Muircheartaigh abu!

thurlesblues (Tipperary) - Posts: 4475 - 17/09/2010 09:45:45    776604

Micheál also spent a lot of time travelling around the country doing presentations and speaking and as far as I am aware was not being paid for any of it. He is just one of those people who loves the games and being part of it all. Hope he enjoys a happy retirement.

hurlingdub (Dublin) - Posts: 6978 - 17/09/2010 10:27:04    776645

My two personal favourite memories :

1) Driving home from Sligo last year on the morning of the Dublin/Meath game and they were going a piece on the 91 saga. The had a few of the old players reliving their memories of the last game. When Foley got the goal and then just after Beggy kicked what would prove to be the winning point, Michael is his finest West Kerry accent shouts " This is the greatest comback I have ever seen, in any sport !!". As a Meath supporter obviously I was beaming with pride and I can remember the hairs standing up on my arm such was the intensity of the commentary and the passion of the moment.

2) My other favourite - this again is when Michael raises the decibel level was when Clare were playing and it must have been against Tipp or Limerick in the Munster Championship. Anyhow it was one of the great days in the mid to late 90's when Munster Hurling was by far THEE best game in the world to watch. A long ball went to the parellelogram and was about to cause major problems to the Clare defence, who were hanging on a slender lead with about less than 10 minutes remaining and I rememer the commentary going something like "it a long high ball into the Clare defence, this could be trouble for the goalie" and then like that part in a horror film when the life is frightened out of you, Michael roars "and caught by Brian Lohan, that mountain of a man !! "

To say he will be missed is a major understatement. Enjoy your retirement Michael and thanks for all the great memories.

Laytown Legend (None) - Posts: 424 - 17/09/2010 11:01:21    776690

Gaelic games will not be the same with out him, Have a Nice retirement and good health and long life Mícheál.

fortyfive (Tyrone) - Posts: 5929 - 17/09/2010 16:09:38    777119

"There's a streaker now on the pitch, I'd say he's a kilkenny fan because he looks happy with the situation. If the streaker doesn't mind, it will be going over his direction now. He sees that, he sees the danger. He's moving out the field ...now towards open territory on the far side of the field, and the ball goes out over the line, Hogan Stand side of the field. The stewards are moving in on him now from all sides...

He's now gone past the centre of the field. Níl fhios agam cad as a thánaig sé. B'fhéidir piobaire sídh slí Gleann Molúra é. He's dodging his way now, trying to get away from the maor. He has made a good run. He's on the 50-yard line now on the other side of the field, he's brought to the ground... tá an streaker ag imacht an páirc."

doublehop (Kildare) - Posts: 4172 - 17/09/2010 16:52:51    777161

A wonderful broadcaster and a great writer also. His love of the games and the language always comes across. And the humour as well - 'I've seen it all now, a Rabbitte chasing a Fox round Croke Park'. Enjoy your retirement Mícheál.

Ailteoir (Galway) - Posts: 917 - 17/09/2010 17:00:22    777167

heard brendan balfe is also retiring there's a real changing of the guard at rte enjoy retirement lads

moddy91 (Tipperary) - Posts: 226 - 18/09/2010 12:54:28    777560

best commentator ever he will be missed badly the voice of the gaa for many years

kildare4sam2010 (Kildare) - Posts: 506 - 18/09/2010 13:53:30    777609

The term Legend is bandied about far too easily nowadays in sport but i can think of no-one who deserves the title more than the great Micheal for his devotion and contribution to Gaelic games and the promotion of the life of a Gael.I am dissappointed however that RTE didnt decide to allow his commentary tomorrow on the radio to be also broadcast on television in recognition of his work down through the years on both formats.The man is a Legend and is irreplaceable, sadly tomorrow will be last time i will be watching a championship match on the television with the sound turned off and the surround sound on the Hi-fi on full blast.

DFB (Louth) - Posts: 51 - 18/09/2010 14:03:07    777620

So sad this will be his last All-Ireland, absolutely love his commentary. Always done the turn down tv and turn up radio on a sunday routine, even for a few years I would be driving around the country on a Sunday, wud have option to stop and watch a game but found it much more entertaining to just drive on and have the great one as company via radio. Will be a sad loss, when are we getting his statue made then?

srb (Antrim) - Posts: 344 - 18/09/2010 15:35:35    777659

Finscéal!

choctaw (Cork) - Posts: 274 - 18/09/2010 21:19:38    777936

the problem with turning the radio up and the TV down is the lag between commentaries didn't that just bug the *its off you

or are there some porkies being told?

ochonlir (Cavan) - Posts: 4343 - 18/09/2010 21:44:52    777965

get hector in..he can talk nonsense in irish and english about chicken houses, spud farmers and people in america too.

wishfulthinkin (Cavan) - Posts: 1734 - 19/09/2010 10:05:26    778022

There is no delay ochonlir if you don't watch RTE on Sky!!!!!!!!!

DFB (Louth) - Posts: 51 - 19/09/2010 19:14:13    778305

I was reared listening to Michael O Hehir on the radio, and i taught we would never see or hear the likes of him again but how wrong i was.
Michael O Muircheartaigh was a brilliant broadcaster, not only that he was truly a peoples man, he would engage with ordinary joe soapes and would tell stories about great players from any or every county,
He never forgot the great gaels of the past and it is well known that he visited many of them in their homes or in hospital when he was in the general area.
I could not say anything but good about this great giant of a man, and i too wish him and his family the very best for the future.
I think as a gesture of our appreciation he should be(If interested) approached by all parties and become an agreed canadate for the up coming vacancy in the Arus.
I cannot think of a more fitting tribute the irish people could pay to the greatest irishman of all time.

shrewdjudge (Waterford) - Posts: 290 - 19/09/2010 19:21:19    778310

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3s68YaO5YmM

he will be missed

Lofty (Monaghan) - Posts: 727 - 19/09/2010 19:42:13    778320

the man is a legend and will be missed , happy retirement

ta32 (Tyrone) - Posts: 4907 - 19/09/2010 21:38:18    778467