File pic. Oisin Keniry/INPHO

'Voice of Meath football' Brendan Cummins dies aged 76

The legendary LMFM commentator was also a respected official and synonymous with Gaelic football in the Royal County.

LEGENDARY MEATH COMMENTATOR Brendan Cummins has died aged 76 following an illness.

The former Meath GAA official, who has been commentating on Meath football games on LMFM for the last 32 years, was inducted into the Royal County’s Hall of Fame in 2022.

Cummins was on commentary duty for LMFM back in October when his own club, Dunsany, finally won their first county Junior championship after eight previous final defeats at the same grade stretching back to 1972.

In a statement on Saturday morning, Dunsany GAA said that Cummins’ death “leaves a void in his family, club and community.”

A separate tribute from Meath GAA described its former minor footballer, county delegate, fixtures secretary and PRO as “the voice of Meath football”.

“It is with great sadness that we learned on Friday evening of the death of the legendary Hall of Famer Brendan Cummins,” the county board statement began.

“The voice of Meath Football, Brendan leaves behind a rich legacy and his passing means there will forever be a void in the press box in Páirc Tailteann and on sidelines across the county where he found his perch for match commentaries.

A man who gave his life to the GAA, he took his final breath in the knowledge that at long last he had witnessed his beloved Dunsany reach the holy grail of winning the Meath Junior Football Championship last October.

“Match days will never be the same again without Brendan on commentary duty but no doubt he along with his former colleague in LMFM, the late Kevin Mallon will be commentating in their own inimitable fashion from Heaven.”

Fellow commentator Marty Morrissey was among those to pay his respects to Cummins upon the announcement of his death on Saturday morning.

The RTÉ play-caller said he was “very sad” to hear of Cummins passing having often sat beside him in the commentary box at Meath matches, including during The Royals’ league success over Cavan at the start of February.

Former sports minister Thomas Byrne TD, a Meath native, wrote on social media that Cummins “was a complete gentleman” and that his “depth and breadth of knowledge on GAA, and sport in general, was something to behold.”

Cummins is survived by his daughter, Mairead, and is predeceased by his wife Margaret.

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