The GAA will hold a special ceremony at Croke Park tomorrow to mark the centenary of the first-ever live radio broadcast of a Gaelic game.
On August 29th, 1926, the All-Ireland Hurling semi-final between Kilkenny and Galway was broadcast live from Croke Park on the fledgling Irish Free State radio station 2RN.
The commentator that day was Cork man Paddy Mehigan, a renowned hurler and athlete who was also a respected Gaelic games correspondent.
The broadcast is believed to have been the first full live commentary of a field sport in Europe, coming at a time when radio sports coverage was already developing in countries including the United States, Australia and New Zealand.
The GAA’s current president, Jarlath Burns, will unveil a commemorative plaque in the Croke Park media centre tomorrow.
He will be joined at the ceremony by RTÉ Head of Sport Declan McBennett and four generations of the Mehigan family.
President Burns says Mehigan was a trailblazer who helped bring Gaelic games to a much wider audience through the new technology of radio.
He described Mehigan as the “original voice of the GAA”, with his work paving the way for broadcasters including Micheál O’Hehir and Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh, as well as the national and local broadcasters who continue to tell the story of Gaelic games today.
The 1926 broadcast was an important milestone in sports broadcasting. Before it, horse racing results had been broadcast by the BBC, while a boxing match from London was broadcast in 1925.
The BBC itself did not begin live sports commentary until January 1927, when Arsenal played Sheffield United.
Mehigan, a Cork-born customs officer by profession, was also a pioneering figure in Irish sports journalism.
He was based in London and played on the London hurling team that was beaten by Cork in the 1902 All-Ireland final, which was eventually played in 1904. After returning to Ireland, he played with Blackrock and was part of the Cork side defeated by Kilkenny in the 1905 final, which was eventually played in 1907.
His journalism was published from 1912, with his work covering not only sport but also poetry, history and nature.
His annual publication, Carbery’s Annual, became a popular publication and continued to be printed until his death in 1965. He was also a key contributor to An Camán, the GAA’s sponsored publication during the 1930s.
In total, Mehigan went on to commentate on 100 matches on radio, leaving a lasting legacy in Gaelic games broadcasting.
The GAA’s celebration of that first broadcast comes as the organisation continues to recognise the role of media in bringing its games to audiences across Ireland and beyond.
Next summer will also mark the 80th anniversary of the Cavan-Kerry All-Ireland Football Final, played at the New York Polo Grounds and broadcast live back to Ireland on Radio Éireann by another legendary voice of Gaelic games, Micheál Ó Hehir.
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