O'Muircheartaigh -- The Horse and the Man

[icebreaker]

A very impressive performance by O'Grady's horse yesterday at Navan ........ a possible winner of the Supreme Novices Hurdle at Chelt next March.

O'Muicheartaigh (pronounced Omurrahurtig) named after a well-known Irish GAA commentator. O'Muircheartaigh, the man, has achieved some notoriety and fame for his TV match commentaries -- an eccentric genius with a tendency to spice his commentaries with inimitable witty remarks.

Some examples of the great man's live commentaries:

http://www.compsoc.nuigalway.ie/salthillgaa/page2.html

[Fadetoblack]

i based a whole comedy sketch around this man the other week. Driving up the country on a summer's day, you tune into the radio to try and get the score of the game...Mr O'Muircheartaigh tells you everything but the score...

"And it's Ken McGrath on the attack...from a great sporting family is Ken, sure his brother is only there beside him on the pitch...from a great history of sporting men...all Mount Sion men too of course..."......

That's great...can you tell me the score please.

"....in fact I only met his mother the other day and they're all up here today..all the McGraths...for this great sporting occasion.....hand passes it to Flynn...another great man from a great family...Flynn has recently opened up a pub down in waterford named after the great man himself...I'm sure there'll be a great night in there tonight if Waterford can win this one..."

WHAT'S THE SCORE!!!!

"And the referee has given a free kick to Cork...for what I don't know...This gives me just about enough time to..."


Yes.....yes......

"...say hello to Bridget Flaherty and Paddy Kavanagh who are tuned in all the way from Australia...and Kevin and Maureen Tubridy who are on their holidays in Playa Del Ingles....sure I was there meself not so long ago...I'm sure you're all watching in Murphy's bar there....enjoying the craic and this great tense game..."

Yes....yes....

"...Where Waterford are trailing by a goal and a point to one point.."


Phew.....

[icebreaker]

Priceless, FTB! You have him down to a "T".

Were you able to make a stab at imitating his accent?

[mathare]

Does it help if you're Irish?

Much of that commentary made no sense at all to me

[Fadetoblack]

Sure you have to give it a go....I'm no impressionist but if you're saying those words everyone's gonna know who your talking about.

That website is class by the way.

[wb]

The man is brilliant. When Im watching football or hurling, I turn the tv down and stick on his radio commentary.

His predecessor, Micheal O Heir was also brilliant. (used to do the horse racing commentary also.) When Dublin (known as the jacks) were wiping the floor with galway in the All Ireland final in the 80's, O Heir said

'The Jacks are back, and the Galway Backs are Jacked!) - brilliant :)

[icebreaker]

Does it help if you're Irish?


Yeah, I guess some of it is "Lost In Translation", Mat. Apologies.

Suffice to say that the guy goes off in a tangent at the most crucial periods in a match and comes out with a whole load of irrelevant (but witty) stuff. E.G., "Pat Fox has the ball on his hurley but Joe Rabitte is hot on his tail ........ I've seen it all -- A rabbit chasing a fox around Croke park.

Indeed Wayne, O'Hehir was a one-off. I hated him as a racing commentator tho'. He had a big gambling habit .......... he used to focus on a horse that he had backed and ignore the race leaders. You'ld be getting a full account of some nag at the back of the field.