Fáilte romhat, a Mhíchíl!

…de la Irish Emigrant:

Moriarty’s Bar and Restaurant is celebrating their grand opening next weekend, and doing so in impressive fashion with a special appearance by legendary Irish broadcaster Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh. The well known commentator is celebrating his 60 year anniversary of being the “voice of the Gaelic Games.”

Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh was born in Dún Síon just outside An Daingean, CountyKerry, in 1930. Fifteen years later he began studying at Coláiste Íosagáin in Baile Bhúirne in the Co. Cork Gaeltacht where he was in training to be a teacher. It was at this point that his name changed from Michael Moriarty to Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh. In 1948 he began the final year of his training at St. Patrick's College in Dublin. He graduated from St. Patrick's and also received a Bachelor of Arts degree from University College Dublin. He taught economics, accounting and Irish in both primary and secondary schools throughout Dublin.

O’Muircheartaigh’s broadcasting career started off very early, at eighteen Ó Muircheartaigh, did a test commentary on a hurling game at CrokePark. Each person had to commentate for five minutes in Irish and the most successful would be selected for further broadcast work.

Ó Muircheartaigh had never seeing a game of hurling before in his life but his intimate familiarity with the Irish language set him apart from the other individuals who were vying for the coveted position. His first assignment was to provide an all-Irish commentary on the 1949 Railway Cup final on St. Patrick's Day.

The rest is broadcasting history…