Just an ordinary morning start today, listening to Today FM from the National Ploughing Championships. All very upbeat until Paul Collins suddenly came back on air to relay the sad news of the passing of Jimmy Magee.
A death which has saddened everyone here in Ireland from all walks of life. You did not have to love sport to not love Jimmy Magee; charismatic, genuine, jovial, communicator, sports broadcaster beyond reproach. Jimmy had it all.
My childhood memories were in the 80’s and Jimmy Magee was a prominent face on the television in my family homestead. His commentary of numerous Olympiad were instant standouts; describing great Irish sporting performances abroad.
John Treacy in Los Angeles was a particular standout; remember a sunny summer’s day in North Clare at my grandparents and news was filtering through of an impending Ireland medal at the Olympics. Quick, switch on the television and my grandparents and I sat captivated by the marathon event for the next two hours, assisted in no small measure by the commentary from Jimmy Magee.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiikQHsDu5E&w=560&h=315]
I remember the Wanamaker Mile race commentaries when the likes of Eamon Coughlan, Frank O’Mara and Marcus O’Sullivan would produce superb performances in the acclaimed Madison Square Garden, New York. Stirring commentaries; captured the excitement of the event perfectly.
Katie Taylor in London 2012 when Jimmy expertly called the action in the boxing ring; providing knowledge and assurance in a language which was so eloquent but yet discernible to all viewers of the broadcast. I loved Jimmy’s style of commentary particularly when it came to boxing, a sport which requires so much knowledge and insight. Many commentators have tried and utterly failed at delivering a coherent boxing broadcast. Jimmy was the standard bearer from my perspective; his knowledge of athletes was second to none. He loved commentating on the Cuban boxers whose footwork, hand speed were sublime.
The boxing angle continued well into 2000’s when RTE took the step of broadcasting professional boxing bouts. Bernard Dunne’s world title victory against Cordoba was an astonishing fight in 2009; ebbed and flowed throughout but the commentary from Jimmy Magee captured the atmosphere and scene perfectly. Jimmy Magee was the blueprint, the template which all other Irish sport broadcasters and journalists were compared against.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5POm4W6u_A&w=560&h=315]
Jimmy Magee entered the world of evening television with George Hamilton hosting Know Your Sport. The ‘Memory Man’ was in his element; posing questions on various specialized sporting areas. No sporting area was out of the bounds. The entertainment value was superb; sad to see the show end in 1998. A genuinely entertaining sports show in Ireland.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7YmSzy7UsQ&w=560&h=315]
FIFA World Cup’s for me personally were forever associated with the commentary of Jimmy Magee. His first world cup commentary was in 1966 and continued until 2010. The commentary on Diego Maradona’s wonder goal against England in 1986 was as he said different class!
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaX2rmnH_E4&w=560&h=315]
Ireland has lost a true sporting broadcasting great today. Ireland has lost a journalist of massive reputation and class. Ireland has lost a national treasure today. I have not even mentioned about his extensive publications and press columns. His articles were always incisive and would refresh the memory on a specific event gone by. Gone but never forgotten. Jimmy Magee. RIP.