MÍCHEÁL Ó MUIRCHEARTAIGH, the legendary Gaelic games commentator, has died aged 93.

Ó Muircheartaigh was surrounded by his family when he passed away this morning at the Mater Hospital, Dublin, according to a statement from RTÉ. 

A native of Co. Kerry, Ó Muircheartaigh was widely considered to be one of Ireland’s greatest ever sports broadcasters. He commentated on Gaelic games for over 60 years on RTÉ Radio.

He was born in Dún Síon, just outside Dingle, in 1930.

A teacher by trade, Ó Muircheartaigh’s first assignment for RTÉ was to provide commentary — as Gaeilge — on the 1949 Railway Cup Final on St Patrick’s Day.

He remained a teacher until the mid-1980s, moonlighting as a broadcaster before eventually working full-time with RTÉ.

Ó Muircheartaigh took the reins from another Irish sports-broadcasting great, Míchael O’Hehir, when the latter retired in 1985.

His last All-Ireland final came in 2010 when he commentated on the Cork footballers’ victory over Down. He retired from broadcasting in October of that year.

Ó Muircheartaigh’s voice — and his iconic turn of phrase — became synonymous with Gaelic games.

Across his more than six decades of broadcasting, he became one of the most cherished figures in Irish sport, remaining so even throughout his retirement.