IF YOU’RE TUNED into different media later this afternoon, you’ll hear his voice on radio and TV.
Dublin native Dave McIntyre is the radio commentator for Newstalk’s coverage of the Monaghan-Tyrone All-Ireland football quarter-final before he switches focus to the TV gantry and the Donegal-Mayo clash, which will be screened live on Sky Sports.
McIntyre, 35, is living the dream of many sports fans, commentating on some of the biggest sporting events at home and abroad.
He’s been present for Heineken Cup finals and also brought you Premier League title deciders on Newstalk in recent times.
Today, McIntyre will aim to arrive at Croke Park for 1.45pm and that allows him the time to get settled in before the action gets underway.
Prepared notes, check. Commentary sheets, check. Plug in the laptop, check. Grab a programme, check. Little things but they all add up to the bigger package.
“I like to have a walk downstairs towards the tunnel area,” McIntyre explains.
“You might pick up some late team news there from a couple of lads involved with the competing counties.
“People will have snippets of information that I would never get, the likes of Brendan Devenney, Eamonn O’Hara, Peter Canavan. They can often provide the steer so you’re not going to be caught on the hop.”
He’ll be joined by Colm ‘Wooly’ Parkinson on the touchline for Newstalk’s coverage of Monaghan-Tyrone, with former Armagh player Aaron Kernan on co-commentary.
And for the Donegal-Mayo game, Paul Earley will be on hand to provide the analysis in the commentary box for the live Sky TV offering.
Work begins in earnest after the 3pm news on Newstalk, when studio anchor Ger Gilroy will link in with McIntyre for a scene-setter.
“We’ll talk about the conditions, the feel of the place, anything we might have seen on the way in, the atmosphere,” McIntyre explains.
“Analysis isn’t what I’m there for. That’s why we have the likes of Wooly and Aaron. I’m there to try and paint the picture of what’s happening.”
McIntyre’s love of sport stems from his parents, both Cavan natives.
As a young boy, his Dad brought Dave to many big games right across the province of Ulster and his first memory of making a visit to Croke Park was for the 1986 National Football League final between Monaghan and Laois.
“I thought I was from Kerry up until the age of 8,” McIntyre smiles.
“They were the great team at the time. I grew up in Castleknock, I’m a Dub but geography doesn’t mean that much to you when you’re five or six.
“My first full sports kit was a full Kerry kit and Pat Spillane was my hero.
“We holidayed in Castlegregory and it was a short hop across the Dingle peninsula to Ventry. I remember being in Paidi O Se’s pub when I was five or six, getting his autograph.”
Now, McIntyre admits that “I have the job of my dreams”, but it wasn’t always the case.
A former bank official, he would take sneak peeks at the sports pages of the newspapers when he admits that he should have been looking at the business section.
In 2007, McIntyre began to explore the world of sports journalism and did some “bits and pieces” for local radio stations Raidió na Life and Anna Livia in Dublin.
He joined Newstalk on a work experience basis when Jerry O’Sullivan was the sports editor there and studied Journalism and Media Communications at Griffith College.
Waterford-based Beat 102-103 then contacted Newstalk to enquire if there was anybody they could recommend for a full-time sports journalist position.
“It entailed a 50 per cent pay cut,” McIntyre recalls.
“Nicky, now my wife, was my girlfriend then and we had just taken a mortgage out.
“We had literally just moved in there in the past six months and now I was upping sticks and leaving to take this job.
“I remember talking to my sister and she said that I could turn down the job but that she didn’t want to ever hear me mention again about how I fancied myself as a sports commentator, or I could take it and see what happens.”
McIntyre worked with Beat 102-103 until November 2008, when he returned to Newstalk on a more permanent basis.
McIntyre was then contacted by Setanta sports and asked to front their Allianz League coverage.
But he admits to getting off to a rocky start in TV commentary.
“My first game was Derry against Tyrone at Celtic Park (2010). It was car crash stuff.
“I had no idea how to use the monitors and my notes were on A3 pages, with no room for them on the desk.
“I missed every replay because I was in the mode of doing a radio commentary and looking out on the pitch.
“It was a dark night and I mixed up Fergal Doherty and Patsy Bradley four or five times. “It was just awful.”
But Setanta stuck with him and McIntyre honed his skills covering rugby and European football.
“Very quickly I had 50, 60, 100, 120 games under my belt. Then Ger (Gilroy) took over from Jerry and he called me into a room, telling me that he wanted me to move to the weekend with him.
“Ger had huge plans for live sport with Newstalk. They had been doing the Premier League but taking it from an international feed. He wanted an end to that.
“He showed savage ambition for the station, bidding for the Heineken Cup and the Holy Grail was to become a broadcast partner with the GAA, which took another couple of years. Ger showed so much faith in me and I owe him so much because I was still very wet behind the ears.”
The rights deals came thick and fast for Newstalk, from Premier League to Heineken Cup and finally, the GAA championships.
He’s also into his second year with Sky Sports, who were suitably impressed by his work with Setanta.
McIntyre is also a current Allstar selector and some of his favourite moments today will be spent shooting the breeze with fellow hacks in the press box.
“The GAA posse is unlike any other group of journalists,” he smiles.
“They’re just so friendly and welcoming, such good craic, lads you can sit down and chat to or go for a pint with.
“I was lucky enough to be on the Allstar committe for the last three years, sitting in a room with Michael Lyster, Brian Carthy, Martin Breheny, Colm Keys and these guys, who have been on the beat for 30 years.
“On the tours, I got to know the likes of John Fogarty, Gordon Manning, Kieran McSweeney and these guys. There’s nothing as good as the press box the hour before a game. It’s another aspect that makes this job incredible.”
Next season will be one of the most interesting seasons in an age. Leicester and Tottenham have money, Liverpool are doing well. United will buy big. And Man City will have to do a clear out. A few new names from the Euros will prob make big transfers. And as for Long, the better he is doing the better for us. For all the bitching people done about Robbie we can clearly see how he dragged us for years
Milan baros…… Supasta
Ye boys working here on the 42 are mad to get Coleman and McCarthy to ‘bigger’ clubs. Their performances this year would leave a lot to be desired I’d be surprised if a ‘big’ club would come in for them. They ain’t Denis Irvin and Roy Keane so get over it!
Coleman had plenty of interest when he made the team of the year in 2014 and McCarthy has been inquired after by the likes of Spurs before, even though it might not have gone anywhere. I think this shows they should have been more ruthless and grabbed their chances with both hands. It’s a short career.
McCarthy to Spurs could be a good move for both parties. He can provide an extra holding midfielder with Dier and Dembele and for McCarthy will have chance to play CL.
I think Shane Long is great but there is no doubt that he is wasteful in the premier league and does miss a couple before he scores but this season he has done well. Hope he pushes on for the euros and stays at Southampton!
I agree I think the author has got a slightly over board here !
As a gooner I just can’t see the immediate future improving at all. Bit harsh maybe to protest against Wenger but it’s time for a change. Fair fooks to Leicester though. The most exciting story in football since Denmark won the euro’s in 92. And as a diehard Ireland fan I dream of Ireland doing something similar
Funny you should mention it, if Ireland hadn’t fooked up in Poland they would have been a serious team at Euro 92. The team were at their peak that year.
I was only 2 when Denmark won the euros but leicester’s success surely has to be so much more exciting and impressive. Denmark won three games to win the Euros! I don’t need to tell ye what Leicester did!
They won more than three. 6 at least.
They won 2 in normal time and one on penos. There was only 8 teams in the Euros back then. Not that spectacular of an achievement. Greece in 2004 would be closer to what Leicester did but still miles away.
Would love to see Liverpool and Atletico win their European cup finals. I reckon they both have fantastic chances.
Have a wee bet on for that, so I hope so too!
Don’t agree with it being the
Minority that want Wenger to stay. I’m a Arsenal fan and want to him to see out his contract. It’s the media that’s made the hype surrounding Wenger. The protest game had just as many fans chanting FOR than against Wenger. Man is a legend and deserves our respect and deserves to see out his contract.
You’re definitely right. Be crazy to sack him. Although they will have to put in a long term plan replacing him – he is probably the only manager now who has control over the whole club. If they don’t plan they will end up a mess like United and forced to spend hundreds of millions to get back to top 4. And that’s coming from a Spurs fan!
So you want him out then
Spot on Sideshow. It would be mad to sack with out a proper long term plan in place. I’d expect him to still have a big role at the club which would be amazing for any manager who comes in to have that experience to draw from. I don’t think it’s a matter of his style of football that has some fans screaming for his head but more that he hasn’t brought in that world class striker to lead the line which admittedly he is partially to blame for alright. You get the sense that he knows he has to spend big and bring in that big name this summer but to call for his sacking is a bit much IMO. I doubt any manager (with the exception of Fergie) could have managed CL quali for 18 season in a row and that alone deserves massive plaudits for keeping Arsenal a “big club”
PS. If you lot could lose tomorrow that’d be great. Cheers ;)
Ye’re gas, I just don’t get the calls for this big name striker, vardy was hardly a big name, Aguero is a big name but he still didn’t guarantee city the league, besides Giroud has one of the highest goal to minutes played ratio in the league, Sanchez is class, and ye’ve loads of attacking players, it’s at the heart of the defence is ye’re biggest problem, look at any league winning side from living memory and they’re all built on solid defensive foundations, no side would have ever won the league with an aging per mertesacker at the heart of its defence
Barca would say otherwise. Haven’t been Defensively sound all year. If it was the premier league they played in they’d leak goals. Its that front three of MSN made the difference so I say yes, a big name striker is of massive importance for a team to win a league. Leicester was a freak occurrence that we might never see in our lifetime again. Giroud is a solid squad player. Good footballer and great to bring off the bench but leading the line id say no. He scored last weekend, his first goal since March 4th. Says enough for me
How many minutes of football did Giroud actually play in that space of time, and no vardy isn’t a total aberration, look at Martial for instance – plucked from relative obscurity. By your logic the Barca defence is no better than arsenals defence, I’m sorry but I’d take pique and mascherano any day over mertesacker, even koscielny is decent but gets muscled out of it in the air a lot. So unless ye are going to go and buy three of the best attackers in the world then no I don’t think one more striker will win the league for ye. How many times have I seen mertesacker vacate central defence and then fail to get back in time, it happened against spurs and again against city. Huth and morgan have shown whats needed to win titles.
“plucked from relative obscurity” – Ya, but for how much money?
Fancy Liverpool next year.
Showbiz
Rumors abound that Klopp will see Sturridge, bring in Goetze and make Firmino his main striker. It would be some statement from Klopp if he were to do that.
Top class? No. Has played better this season with an extended run of games but one season does not make a player. Now i might have the bar too high but top class for me would be lukaku and higuain while world class would be suarez, ibrahimovic. Messi and ronaldo have their own special class. Am I being too restrictive?
Lukaku and Higuain are Europa class at best whilst Ibrahamovic is merely a flat-track tosser!!
Suarez surely has to be in a class above Ibra? He’s proven himself at Barca while Ibra floundered there
Only took him 8seasons….
Long might be great with klopp?
Shane Long is an all round striker but I’m surprised no one has given Connor Salmon a mention , given his recent performances he ought to be given a place for the Euros next month
And starting as lone striker of course!
Shane long is far from being a Top class striker. He is John walters with A bit more pace but doesn’t hold the Ball as well as Walters does. Thats the decision O’Neill must make a mediocre striker that can Run in behind of One that can hold the Ball up to involve others in the play.
With no European Football to distract, Chelsea under Conte should be a good bet next season for top 4.
‘hon the ‘hoe. G’wan the Long fella