Recalling the immortal Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh and looking ahead to Cork's date with destiny

There's really only one place to start this week and that’s by chatting about the greatest to ever step behind a microphone.

When Micheál spoke the world listened. His voice, his artistry with words, his knowledge of the game, of the players involved, and the genius wit at the perfect time - it was just the perfect recipe for the greatest sports commentator ever.

I would not claim to have known Micheál personally but in recent years I have had the great privilege and honour of sitting in many of the same seats he once did with my work on the radio and often times, I would bump into him at these great occasions.

We would have brief but memorable chats. Memorable for me anyway! The last hurling game that he called on radio was the 2010 All Ireland final. A mighty day for us Tipp people.

Afterwards he came down to the dressing room, congratulated the group and said that was his last hurling game. But it's what he said next that stuck with us all - that the All Ireland he had just witnessed was the greatest game of hurling he had seen.

Maybe it was the emotion of the day, I thought later on. If he had a chance to think about it he would choose another game?

So when I met him at the All Ireland Final in 2022, I asked him two things: one, would he sign my programme as I had the honour of co-commentating on the All Ireland final that day. And two, did he really mean what he said that day to us in the dressing room back in 2010?

He replied that he did, citing the game, the occasion, and everything that was on the line that afternoon.

I nearly got emotional that I was so blessed to have been involved in a game that Micheál deemed the greatest he had seen. I won’t lie, like many I’m sure I shed a small tear yesterday when I heard the