SKY SPORTS DUO Jeff Stelling and Chris Kamara continued their travels around Ireland attempting to get to the heart of gaelic games (G-Double A, as Kammy calls it) before they commentate on September’s All-Ireland football final.
In Episode 2 of ‘Jeff and Kammy’s Journey to Croker’, the pair are handed down a lesson about commentary from Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh, an icon of Irish sports broadcasting.
“He knew something about every single player, like who was a grandson or a great-grandson of who? It was just amazing!” said Kammy, after struggling to pronounce the 86-year-old’s surname.
“He’s been practicing your surname,” probed Stelling.
“Let’s have it then,” said Ó Muircheartaigh.
“I need you to say it first.”
“My name is Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh.”
“Ó Mother what?,” replied Kamara dumbfounded.
Ó Muircheartaigh’s beloved style and depth of knowledge, plus the length of his 62-year broadcasting career, mesmorised Stelling.
“Micheál is truly a legend,” he said. “His name may be harder to pronounce than David Attenborough but you can understand the comparisons, especially for someone to have done what he has done for over 60 years.
“You could see why Micheál is such a success because he appears to know something about absolutely every player,” he observed.
“And the other great thing is that he’s got humour. We hope and feel that our show is informative and opinionated but also that it’s got some humour.
“That’s what you need in a great commentator and Micheál has that too.”
Kammy said the best tip Ó Muircheartaigh gave him was “learn the names…..so I’m leaving that to Jeff,” he laughed.
“He was talking about players like ‘his great, great grand-dad now, he was the first cab driver in Dingle!’ He’d done all that homework on these kids!”
‘Jeff and Kammy’s Road to Croker’ airs each Monday at 5pm on www.youtube.com/aib and AIB’s social channels.
The42 is on Instagram! Tap the button below on your phone to follow us!
