Robbie Gallagher (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Ba mhaith liom fosta fáilte mhór a chur roimh Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh agus a chlann go dtí an Teach seo inniu. Labhair mé leis an Uasal Ó Muircheartaigh ag Comórtas Peile na Gaeltachta ar an gCeathrú Rua i gContae na Gaillimhe na blianta ó shin. Bhí mé ag imirt ar fhoireann an Tearmainn ó Thír Chonaill ag an am sin. Bhí eolas an-mhaith ag an Uasal Ó Muircheartaigh ar na himreoirí go léir ó gach Gaeltacht sa tír. His knowledge of the GAA and of all the players who had assembled in An Cheathrú Rua in Connemara for the all-Ireland Gaeltacht football championships has stayed with me until the present day. At the time, I was playing for a team called Termon from County Donegal. As we spoke on the sideline, I was impressed by Mr. Ó Muircheartaigh's knowledge of the team. He asked about imreoir an-mhaith, Tomás Ó Riain, a bhí againn agus a bhí ag imirt d'fhoireann an chontae ag an am. Thomas Ryan would have been our most famous player at that time, which was 20 or 25 years ago. Mr. Ó Muircheartaigh knew about him and about the minors who played on the team in a small country area like the area I come from thuas i dTír Chonaill. It has stayed with me that he took the time to inform himself about the players from our club who had previously played with Donegal. There is no better ambassador for the Irish language or for Gaelic games than Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh. As a sporting person, I often listen to commentators as they try to explain a crucial moment during a football or hurling match. There are some who get it and some who do not. Mr. Ó Muircheartaigh has the God-given gift of being able to capture the moment and set the scene when commentating on a hurling match in a way that allows someone travelling in a car to envisage it in his or her mind's eye. As one listens to his commentary, it is as if one is actually looking at what is happening on the pitch. That is a fantastic gift.

What I like about today is that it gives us an opportunity to look back with fond memories on Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh's fantastic talent as a commentator and to hear about his love for the Irish language. People normally have to pass away before we get an opportunity to idolise them. I am glad Mr. Ó Muircheartaigh is alive today and his family is here with him. I am glad we have this opportunity to pay tribute to him by highlighting the respect and love that we, as a nation, have for him. I wish him many more years of good health and happiness. I have no doubt that he will continue to promote Gaelic games and the Irish language. An advertisement for the Allianz football leagues that is running on RTÉ at present sets a unique and iconic scene. It shows Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh, after being involved with the GAA for many years, with some children at an under age football match against a backdrop of the wild Atlantic Ocean. It is a fantastic image and one I associate with Mr. Ó Muircheartaigh. I wish him many more years of good health and happiness. I hope we will get an opportunity to enjoy listening to him yet again, regardless of the subject matter he is discussing. I suppose there is an onus on us all le bheith ag caint as Gaeilge. Cosúil le mo chara, an Seanadóir Ned O'Sullivan, bhí níos mó Gaeilge agam nuair a bhí mé óg ná mar atá agam anois. Nuair a d'fhreastail mé ar an scoil náisiúnta suas i dTír Chonaill, bhí orm an Ghaeilge a labhairt an t-am ar fad. With the passage of time, ní cuimhin liom an chuid is mó den mhéid Gaeilge a bhí agam ag an am sin. Déanaim iarracht an Ghaeilge a labhairt anois is arís. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Uasal Ó Muircheartaigh. It is a pleasure and an honour to be in his presence here this afternoon.