Michael
O'Hehir
The Voice Of The GAA
Leo Bowes profiles one of Ireland’s greatest commentators,
and the man credited with gaining so much popularity for Gaelic
Games, the late Michael O’ Hehir.
The death of Micheal O' Hehir at the age of 76 during the last
days of 1996, removed from the Irish sporting scene one of the
greatest ever commentators of Gaelic football, hurling and horse
racing events. Born in Glasnevin, Dublin, of Clare parents, Michael
O'Hehir had a flair for describing events, a great enthusiasm
for sport and a clear pleasant voice that enabled him to become
Ireland’s favourite Gaelic games broadcaster.
Popularly known as “The Voice of Gaeldom”, he gave
his first Gaelic football commentary as far back as Sunday August
14th, 1938. The match, in which Galway beat Monaghan by 2-10 to
2-3, was the All-lreland senior football championship semi-final,
played in Mullingar. The tousle-haired 18-year-old commentator
was an instant hit.
Radio Eireann, pleased with his racy, dramatic style of broadcasting,
asked him to do the job again for the All-lreland final between
Kerry and Galway five weeks later. This great match put Michael
on the road to success, and since then he was associated with
many of the great occasions of Gaelic games, and became a legend
in his own time.
He inherited his love for sport and Gaelic games in particular
from his father, Jim
O'Hehir, who helped train the Co. Clare team that beat Laois by
5-1 to 1-0 in the 1914
All Ireland senior hurling championship final. Michael’s
father was also chairman of the Civil Service and St. Vincent's
Clubs in Dublin, and a member of the G.A.A. County
Board.
As a boy, Micheal travelled with his father to hurling and football
matches in many parts of the country, but he was more interested
in hurling than in football. He later played as a wing-forward
for Croke's and St.Vincent's.
He began his education in St. Patrick's National School in Drumcondra,
Dublin, and
from there went to O' Connell Schools. His parents were anxious
that he should become an engineer, and he was sent to University
College, Dublin. He, however, was bent on a broadcasting and journalistic
career, and while still at UCD, contributed sports articles to
the newspapers.
It was while he was attending O'Connell Schools that he wrote
to Radio Eireann seeking a test as a broadcaster. With five other
applicants, he was chosen to do a test commentary on a National
League match between Louth and Wexford. Recalling the occasion,
O' Hehir said, “I was 18 that June and still wearing my
school cap and blazer. We were asked to do five minutes of the
first half. The commentators were piped back to the studio by
the engineer, Dermot Maguire, but they did not go out live of
course, to the public. That was the last I heard of it, and I
thought I had been turned down.”
Impatient to find out if he had been rejected, Michael called
to the Radio Eireann studio in Henry Street and asked to see the
Director of Broadcasting at the time. As he had been on his way
to school, he was wearing his school uniform. An appointment was
made with Dr. Kiernan, the Director of Broadcasting, and so impressed
was he by Micheal's enthusiasm that he agreed to listen to the
recorded commentary test and was doubly impressed. Years later,
Dr. Kiernan was to admit that he was very proud to have played
a part in the discovery of Micheal O'Hehir.
Padraig O’ Caoimh, then General Secretary of the of G.A.A.,
was also enthusiastic
about the newfound broadcaster. Among Micheal's most memorable
assignments was his commentary on the Cavan / Kerry match from
New York on Sunday, September 14th, 1947. It was the only All-lreland
played outside of Ireland. His description of the game drew praise
from all who heard it, including top American newspaper columnists.
Michael later remarked, “There I was, high up over the field
in the Polo grounds, looking down at the Kerry and Cavan teams
battling for the spoils in the strangest All-Ireland final of
modern times. And as I sat telling the story of the match into
the microphone, I was fully alive to the fact that my story was
the link between this historic match and the thousands of football
followers at home.
'In those days, transatlantic broadcasts were something unusual,
and even mysterious
- In fact, this lent enchantment to the whole day. But there were
problems too.
The lines which carried the broadcast across the Atlantic to Radio
Eireann had been booked to 5pm New York time, and now it was just
a minute to that hour and there was still a good five minutes
left in the game.
“A dreadful thought crossed my mind. What if somebody in
a control room in New York just checked a piece of paper which
said “the Irish booking ends at five” and disconnected?”
Michael begged on air for “five minutes”, and kept
going! As Cavan went on to win 2-11 to 2-7, he did not know whether
his pleas were being answered. They were, however, and the closing
stages of that historic match were heard by thousands of listeners
in Ireland.
When Telefis Eireann came into existence, Michael gave up the
job of racing correspondent with an Irish national newspaper,
and became director of sport at Radio Telefis Eireann, a post
he retained for many years, up to the time when he suffered a
stroke in 1985 and was permanently confined to a wheelchair.
“Go ndeana Dia trócaire ar a anam dhílis.”
Micheal O'Hehir
