The best commentator in the game.
We often give out about GAA commentators on the basis that ‘he never held a hurl in his life,’ or ‘he wouldn’t know a football if it bit him in the arse.’
Our criticisms mightn’t be fair, but we don’t really care, because in reality we all fancy our own knowledge on the game and feel that somebody with all those journalistic skills, but without any credentials in the game doesn’t deserve to be in a place of authority above us.
Éir Sport are a bunch of legends with their coverage of club Championship hurling and football games all over the country, and on Saturday, they ventured down to Nowlan Park for the Kilkenny SHC quarter finals.
The first of the two games was between O’Loughlin Gaels and Érin’s Own, and Jesus us couch potatoes were stuck for words because the commentary line-up meant we had absolutely nothing to give out about.
Éir acquired the services of the biggest hero in Kilkenny GAA, in the GAA in general in Tullaroan’s Tommy Walsh.
Passion. Fire. Explosiveness. Enthusiasm. No, we’re not talking about his half back play during his nine-time All-Star winning career, we’re talking about his commentary.
The 34-year-old was a breath of fresh air throughout the summer Championship on Newstalk, and he was at his brilliant best in the Marble city on Saturday.
Every touch, catch, stroke and pass was met with oohs and aahs from a breathless Walsh, and his cameo was perhaps best summed up when he provided spectators with a priceless piece of information that Érin’s Own Free-taker Sean Buggy was a nephew of the great Davy Buggy, a brilliant hurler who was named man-of-the-match in the 1993 minor final.
"His uncle was MOTM in the 1993 minor final" – Tommy Walsh dropping some knowledge on co-commentary duty today. 😂😂😂😂 #ClubChampionships pic.twitter.com/jtQz2ceUly
— eir Sport (@eirSport) September 30, 2017
A hurling man. He knew what he was at. He knows everything about the game, stretching back to 1993 and further.
