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Micheál O'Hehir (June 2, 1920–November 24, 1996) was an Irish sports commentator and journalist. He is credited with being the "Voice of Gaelic Games."
Micheál O'Hehir was born in Glasnevin, Dublin on June 2, 1920. It was during his education at the O'Connell Christian Brothers School that he began to broadcast commentaries on GAA matches. Ó Hehir did his first GAA commentary on the August 14, 1938 when Galway defeated Monaghan in the All-Ireland Senior Football Semi-Final at Cusack Park in Mullingar. He abandoned his engineering studies at University College Dublin after one year to become a full-time sports commentator. In 1944 he became a sports journalist for Independent Newspapers, while continuing to broadcast commentaries for Radio Éireann and the BBC.
Ó Hehir's father, Jim Ó Hehir, came from County Clare and he trained his native county to win the 1914 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Final. He also has the unusual distinction of training Leitrim to win the 1927 Connacht Senior Football Final. Jim Ó Hehir was also an official of the Dublin Junior Board.
In 1961 Teilifís Éireann was founded and O'Hehir was appointed head of sports programmes. Ó Hehir was not confined to sports commentaries: he covered the visit of President John F. Kennedy to Ireland and his subsequent funeral in 1963, the funeral of Roger Casement in 1965 and the celebrations marking the 50th Anniversary of the Easter Rising in 1966. His radio broadcasts on GAA matches during the 40's and 50's were eagerly listened to all over the country. In 1962 he transferred to television broadcasting.
Ó Hehir also commentated many of the Aintree Grand Nationals, arguably the most famous horse race in the world. He would invariably pick up the BBC commentary at the Beechers Brook fence and take the race to the Canal Turn, a vital section of the race where many a favourite fell. Foinavon's famous victory will be remembered as one of Ó Hehir's finest moments in racing commentaries. The thrilling victories of the great Irish horses Arkle and Shergar were just some of the great sporting occasions brought into Irish homes by Ó Hehir.
In 1972 he became manager of the newly designed Leopardstown racecourse but left the following year to continue writing and broadcasting as a freelance journalist. In his commentary he aimed at impartiality but admitted that he was always blamed for being "against the losers." Shortly after Dublin were beaten by Galway in 1983 in a tense All-Ireland final about 30 Dublin supporters attacked him in the commentary box, and only the presence of an armed detective, there to protect the microphone, saved him from serious injury.
Ó Hehir retired from broadcasting in 1984 due to illness. Because of this he was denied the chance to commentate on his 100th All-Ireland Final. Ó Hehir was replaced by Ger Canning on RTÉ television, and on radio by Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh. The following year he suffered a stroke and was confined to a wheelchair.
Micheál Ó Hehir died on November 24, 1996 in Dublin.