BOYLAN TALKS SPORT Artist who painted pictures with the roll of his tongue

Growing up in the 1980s and early ‘90s, I’m sure every family had their oddities, factors that set them apart from their contemporaries, things they had or didn’t have.

In our case, that meant only having access to the two ‘National’ television stations, RTE 1 and Network 2 as it was then. Which in turn meant missing out on broadcasts which became staple diets once the ‘other’ stations were acquired in 1995. That meant, in a sporting context, shows like The Morning Line, Grandstand, Match Of The Day and many others. However, in keeping with the mantra of the day, you cut your cloth according to measure and made the most of what you had.

In terms of sports viewing, that meant Sports Stadium on a Saturday - basically the Irish answer to Grandstand - and either The Sunday Game or Sunday Sport on the following day. Depending on which time of the year it happened to be.

For you see, it was a completely different world in terms of sports broadcasting back then. Likewise when it came to competition structure in the GAA, one shot and you’re out. Which, when it’s thought about, was probably a lot of the reason the National Leagues (correctly) began in October. Not all change equates to progress.

Anyway, the lie of the land at the time was such that the only GAA matches shown on live television were the All Ireland semi finals and finals in both hurling and football at senior and minor level.

Thus, for the rest of the season, for any matches one couldn’t get to, the radio was the first port of call. Whether it was Micheal O Hehir or Sean Og O Ceallachain or Micheal O Muircheartaigh.

Obviously, in my case, that would have been the latter. But before getting into the voluminous quantities of memories remaining from the great man’s artistry behind the mic, a few personal nuggets came flooding back on receipt of the news that he of the heavenly voice had been accredited to the Press Box in the stadium far away.

The first of which being when I was about eight, he acted as quiz master for an event in our primary school. Naturally, even at that age, being obsessed with GAA, yours truly made a bee-line straight for the guest of honour.

And, as has also become standard, once he heard my surname, “Are you related to the great man?”. Which was then followed by the time honoured explanation that no, even though my father was also called Sean and the two families just lived two fields apart, we weren’t related.

Somewhere along the line, it was learned that Micheal and his family lived in the catchment area of St Brigid’s GAA Club in Blanchardstown, so it was no surprise to again cross his path on the occasion of the red and white’s first Dublin SFC success in 2003. Though surprised to see me in the environs of Tom Russell Park, his curiosity took the scenic route.

Typical of the man, he mined for the gem outside of the obvious. Thus, the greeting was: “Is it the Nobber connection or are you just feeding the addiction”?

Allow me to explain. The Nobber connection was a reference to the fact Gerry McEntee was managing the Dublin 15 outfit at the time. Just as he had when they were promoted to Dublin football top tier in 1992. And indeed was the case when they reigned supreme in the capital for a second time.

The reference to addiction pointing the fact that it basically sums up the relationship I have enjoyed with GAA since it was first hooked to my veins 34 years ago and which my learned, now departed media colleague clued into very quickly.

Thereafter, what turned out to be our final rendezvous, occurred on the occasion of the launch of Sean Boylan’s autobiography in Croke Park. Time would foist me with mixed feelings regarding that evening, but the good by far outweighed the bad.

Rubbing shoulders with heroes and greats. Outside of, obviously, Sean and his family, Graham and Amanda Geraghty and a host of other members of the great Meath teams, there was Taoiseach of the day Bertie Ahern, Micheal, Paidi O’Se - God rest him - and Billy Morgan.

As well as has having Sean's autography on my copy of his book, the man from Dun Sion signed it as well. The same request was made of and acceded to by Bertie.

Aside from those personal recollections, what will eternally resonate regarding Micheal O Muircheartaigh’s artistry behind the mic was the unmistakable feeling we were all in the commentary box with him, whether you happened to be tuning in from your living room, a hundred or a million miles away from the clash of the ash or the hop of the ball.

As a result of which I, like most people, have innumerable commentated diamonds ingrained into my mind, here are a few in conclusion:

“Teddy McCarthy to Mick McCarthy, no relation. Mick McCarthy back to Teddy McCarthy, still no relation”.

“Anthony Lynch, the Cork corner back, he’d be the last man to let you down, his people are undertakers”.

“Pat Fox has it and he’s racing towards goal, but here comes Joe Rabbite, I’ve seen it all now, a Rabbitte chasing a Fox in Croke Park”.

“Cork have Danny The Yank in midfield, Meath have the Flying Doc, they’re well used to meeting in mid air”.

“Sean Og O’hAilpin, his father from Fermanagh, his mother from Fiji, neither a hurling stronghold”.

“The watch has stopped working, so now it’s between God and the referee. Pat Horan is the referee, God is God”.

“He has sliotar, he’s racing away towards goal, he’s on the 50, he’s on the 40, he’s on the 30, he’s on the ground”.

“Mike Houlihan grabs it for Limerick, Mike, the cattle jobber, six weeks ago he got his jaw broke with a kick from a bullock. Twas some bullock that broke Mike Houlihan’s jaw”.

A book really could be constructed of Micheal’s legendary utterances and hopefully someday somebody will. For now though, I will leave you with this golden moment, close to the heart of so many of us -

“It’s 2-9 to 0-15. That’s 15 apiece. We’re within 30 seconds of the end of the most incredible series of football matches played in any code the world over. The ball is out the far side of the field but Meath win it. Mattie McCabe has it, he gets it to Liam Hayes. He’s 60 yards out, he’s inside the 50 yard line. A chance for glory for the captain, he gets it over to PJ Gillic. PJ gets it out to Dave Beggy, Beggy kicks it, it’s over the bar and Meath are leading. Incredible. Incredible. We have two seconds of actual playing time left. The most incredible finale that I have ever seen, in any code. Jack Sheedy coming up to kick it right footed. It hasn’t the length, it hasn’t the accuracy and it goes to the left and wide.

“We’re 48 seconds into injury time. We’re close to the end. The referee looks at his watch. The umpires are looking at watches. Mick Lyons looks at Robbie O’Malley, Robbie looks back at him. They both look towards Martin O’Connell. Is what we have just seen real? It is real.

The kick will be taken by Michael McQuillan, the kick is taken, and it’s all over. The Leinster Champions, they live on, they live on fair play to them. The hardest of hard luck to the most gallant Dublin team I ever saw”.

Coladh samh mo chara, ni beidh a leithed ann aris.