A popular watering hole for those travelling to Semple Stadium, Noel Ryan’s Pub in Thurles attracts GAA fans from far and wide. Before matches, all proudly boast of their county’s potential and after either celebrate fervently or lament what could have been.
But there is one element of this public house that transcends all county rivalry and fans, no matter what colours they don. That is the mural dedicated to Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh. Located on a wall adjacent to the bar, it portrays some of his most memorable quotes.
Mícheál is famous for his colourful match commentary and extensive knowledge of the GAA. Upon meeting him, Irish Country Living finds out just how vast that knowledge is.
He is a walking, talking, encyclopedia of the GAA.
The first All-Ireland
It seems the information the Kerryman possesses is endless. Mícheál can tell you who played and won every All-Ireland final and elaborates on each with interesting titbits of information. For example, the first All-Ireland football final took place in Clonskeagh in Dublin and until the day of the game the players did not know where the match was taking place.
“Nobody is exactly sure where, but they think it’s near where the Smurfit School is now. The place where the match was played was known as the Big Bank, that was the only name attached to it. Limerick won that year and again in 1896. They have never won it since – and they were never beaten in one since, so they have a 100% record,” he laughs.
In preparing for commentating matches, especially All-Ireland finals, Mícheál used to go to the National Library and look up local newspapers from when the teams last played an All-Ireland. He would also visit the county if he had never been there before, so as to get a better sense of the place.
Having broadcasted across eight decades – starting in 1949 and retiring in 2010 – Mícheál’s turn of phrase is quoted up and down the country. He credits knowing the players as an advantage in facilitating his famous commentary.
“I got to know a lot of the players. Some people used to say: ‘Stay away from the players,’ but I think it helps if you both know each other. For instance, to a number of people a guy might be known locally as Mike, but he might tell me that his mother likes him to be known as Michael. I would always mention things like that.”
An attitude to ageing
When the 87-year-old is asked about his attitude to ageing, his answer is simple: “Well, I don’t take any notice.” For a man who is supposed to be retired, Mícheál is busier than most. He travels extensively around the country and is on the road most days opening various buildings, attending functions and visiting the Bank of Ireland enterprise towns he is involved with.
Mícheál is based in Meath, but on any given day he could be in both Dublin and Cavan. Irish Country Living meets him at the Old Burlington Hotel in Ballsbridge. He had a prior engagement in Sandyford, parked at the RTÉ studios in Donnybrook and walked half an hour over and back.
Growing up on a dairy farm east of Dingle in Dún Síon, Mícheál is fluent in English and Irish, which helped him greatly in starting out in broadcasting. While studying to become a teacher at St Patrick’s College in Drumcondra, a notice on the wall advertising Irish match commentary auditions caught his attention and subsequently allowed him his first break in broadcasting. He puts it down to chance – but many would disagree and say that it was pure talent.
“There was a little fógra by Raidió Éireann, saying that there would be trialacha taking place and anyone who was interested should come along. You were to go to stile five and someone would be there to meet you. So I thought it was great to be getting into Croke Park for free. I looked at it as an adventure. Lots of things happen like that, by chance, and that’s how I started.”
On top of his game
The most important thing in commentating a game, Mícheál feels, is to be fair to everyone and his primary concern was always reporting what happened on the pitch. He also cites visualising yourself in the game as very important.
“You would have a place to sit down, but I would often get up, the same as if you watch the people in the stand. There are times when everyone rises, and I think that is an automatic reaction. I have been known to do that a lot as well. That is entering the game. You are, if you like, playing – or you visualise yourself playing.”
With such a prolific career behind him, the most obvious question to ask is does he miss commentating?
“I don’t for this reason: I think I was always going [along] to watch; the match was the interesting thing. It was an added privilege to have the liberty to be talking about it – and I am still going to all the matches.”
Mike Houlihan for Limerick. Houlihan, the cattle jobber. He had his jaw broken by a kick from a bullock two months ago. He’s back now. ’Twas some bullock that broke Mike Houlihan’s jaw. Seán Óg Ó hAilpín: his father’s from Fermanagh, his mother’s from Fiji. Neither a hurling stronghold. Colin Corkery on the 45 lets go with the right boot. It’s over the bar. This man shouldn’t be playing football. He’s made an almost Lazarus-like recovery from a heart condition. Lazarus was a great man but he couldn’t kick points like Colin Corkery. Pat Fox out to the 40 and grabs the sliothar. I bought a dog from his father last week. Fox turns and sprints for goal … the dog ran a great race last Tuesday in Limerick … Fox, to the 21, fires a shot – it goes to the left and wide … the dog lost as well. Teddy McCarthy to Mick McCarthy, no relation. Mick McCarthy back to Teddy McCarthy, still no relation.Teddy looks at the ball, the ball looks at Teddy. I saw a few Sligo people at Mass in Gardiner St this morning and the omens seem to be good for them. The priest was wearing the same colours as the Sligo jersey. Forty yards out on the Hogan Stand side of the field, Ciarán Whelan goes on a rampage … it’s a goal! So much for religion. Dublin have scored two points, one from the hand and one from the land.And Brian Dooher is down injured. And while he is, I’ll tell ye a little story: I was in Times Square in New York last week, and I was missing the Championship back home, so I approached a newsstand and I said: ‘I suppose ye wouldn’t have The Kerryman, would ye?’ To which, the Egyptian behind the counter turned to me and he said: ‘Do you want the North Kerry edition, or the South Kerry edition?’ He had both – so I bought both. And Dooher is back on his feet.He grabs the sliothar, he’s on the 50, he’s on the 40, he’s on the 30 … he’s on the ground!The stopwatch has stopped. It’s up to God and the referee now. The referee is Pat Horan. God is God. In the first half they played with the wind. In the second half they played with the ball.1-5 to 0-8 … well, from Lapland to the Antarctic, that’s level scores in any man’s language.Pat Fox has it on his hurl and is motoring well now, but here comes Joe Rabbitte hot on his tail… I’ve seen it all now, a Rabbitte chasing a Fox around Croke Park.Anthony Lynch, the Cork corner-back, will be the last person to let you down – his people are undertakers. Read more
Pat Spillane: Today’s Dublin wouldn’t hold a candle to 80s Kerry
Football for fun
A popular watering hole for those travelling to Semple Stadium, Noel Ryan’s Pub in Thurles attracts GAA fans from far and wide. Before matches, all proudly boast of their county’s potential and after either celebrate fervently or lament what could have been.
But there is one element of this public house that transcends all county rivalry and fans, no matter what colours they don. That is the mural dedicated to Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh. Located on a wall adjacent to the bar, it portrays some of his most memorable quotes.
Mícheál is famous for his colourful match commentary and extensive knowledge of the GAA. Upon meeting him, Irish Country Living finds out just how vast that knowledge is.
He is a walking, talking, encyclopedia of the GAA.
The first All-Ireland
It seems the information the Kerryman possesses is endless. Mícheál can tell you who played and won every All-Ireland final and elaborates on each with interesting titbits of information. For example, the first All-Ireland football final took place in Clonskeagh in Dublin and until the day of the game the players did not know where the match was taking place.
“Nobody is exactly sure where, but they think it’s near where the Smurfit School is now. The place where the match was played was known as the Big Bank, that was the only name attached to it. Limerick won that year and again in 1896. They have never won it since – and they were never beaten in one since, so they have a 100% record,” he laughs.
In preparing for commentating matches, especially All-Ireland finals, Mícheál used to go to the National Library and look up local newspapers from when the teams last played an All-Ireland. He would also visit the county if he had never been there before, so as to get a better sense of the place.
Having broadcasted across eight decades – starting in 1949 and retiring in 2010 – Mícheál’s turn of phrase is quoted up and down the country. He credits knowing the players as an advantage in facilitating his famous commentary.
“I got to know a lot of the players. Some people used to say: ‘Stay away from the players,’ but I think it helps if you both know each other. For instance, to a number of people a guy might be known locally as Mike, but he might tell me that his mother likes him to be known as Michael. I would always mention things like that.”
An attitude to ageing
When the 87-year-old is asked about his attitude to ageing, his answer is simple: “Well, I don’t take any notice.” For a man who is supposed to be retired, Mícheál is busier than most. He travels extensively around the country and is on the road most days opening various buildings, attending functions and visiting the Bank of Ireland enterprise towns he is involved with.
Mícheál is based in Meath, but on any given day he could be in both Dublin and Cavan. Irish Country Living meets him at the Old Burlington Hotel in Ballsbridge. He had a prior engagement in Sandyford, parked at the RTÉ studios in Donnybrook and walked half an hour over and back.
Growing up on a dairy farm east of Dingle in Dún Síon, Mícheál is fluent in English and Irish, which helped him greatly in starting out in broadcasting. While studying to become a teacher at St Patrick’s College in Drumcondra, a notice on the wall advertising Irish match commentary auditions caught his attention and subsequently allowed him his first break in broadcasting. He puts it down to chance – but many would disagree and say that it was pure talent.
“There was a little fógra by Raidió Éireann, saying that there would be trialacha taking place and anyone who was interested should come along. You were to go to stile five and someone would be there to meet you. So I thought it was great to be getting into Croke Park for free. I looked at it as an adventure. Lots of things happen like that, by chance, and that’s how I started.”
On top of his game
The most important thing in commentating a game, Mícheál feels, is to be fair to everyone and his primary concern was always reporting what happened on the pitch. He also cites visualising yourself in the game as very important.
“You would have a place to sit down, but I would often get up, the same as if you watch the people in the stand. There are times when everyone rises, and I think that is an automatic reaction. I have been known to do that a lot as well. That is entering the game. You are, if you like, playing – or you visualise yourself playing.”
With such a prolific career behind him, the most obvious question to ask is does he miss commentating?
“I don’t for this reason: I think I was always going [along] to watch; the match was the interesting thing. It was an added privilege to have the liberty to be talking about it – and I am still going to all the matches.”
Mike Houlihan for Limerick. Houlihan, the cattle jobber. He had his jaw broken by a kick from a bullock two months ago. He’s back now. ’Twas some bullock that broke Mike Houlihan’s jaw. Seán Óg Ó hAilpín: his father’s from Fermanagh, his mother’s from Fiji. Neither a hurling stronghold. Colin Corkery on the 45 lets go with the right boot. It’s over the bar. This man shouldn’t be playing football. He’s made an almost Lazarus-like recovery from a heart condition. Lazarus was a great man but he couldn’t kick points like Colin Corkery. Pat Fox out to the 40 and grabs the sliothar. I bought a dog from his father last week. Fox turns and sprints for goal … the dog ran a great race last Tuesday in Limerick … Fox, to the 21, fires a shot – it goes to the left and wide … the dog lost as well. Teddy McCarthy to Mick McCarthy, no relation. Mick McCarthy back to Teddy McCarthy, still no relation.Teddy looks at the ball, the ball looks at Teddy. I saw a few Sligo people at Mass in Gardiner St this morning and the omens seem to be good for them. The priest was wearing the same colours as the Sligo jersey. Forty yards out on the Hogan Stand side of the field, Ciarán Whelan goes on a rampage … it’s a goal! So much for religion. Dublin have scored two points, one from the hand and one from the land.And Brian Dooher is down injured. And while he is, I’ll tell ye a little story: I was in Times Square in New York last week, and I was missing the Championship back home, so I approached a newsstand and I said: ‘I suppose ye wouldn’t have The Kerryman, would ye?’ To which, the Egyptian behind the counter turned to me and he said: ‘Do you want the North Kerry edition, or the South Kerry edition?’ He had both – so I bought both. And Dooher is back on his feet.He grabs the sliothar, he’s on the 50, he’s on the 40, he’s on the 30 … he’s on the ground!The stopwatch has stopped. It’s up to God and the referee now. The referee is Pat Horan. God is God. In the first half they played with the wind. In the second half they played with the ball.1-5 to 0-8 … well, from Lapland to the Antarctic, that’s level scores in any man’s language.Pat Fox has it on his hurl and is motoring well now, but here comes Joe Rabbitte hot on his tail… I’ve seen it all now, a Rabbitte chasing a Fox around Croke Park.Anthony Lynch, the Cork corner-back, will be the last person to let you down – his people are undertakers. Read more
Pat Spillane: Today’s Dublin wouldn’t hold a candle to 80s Kerry
Football for fun
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