On The Airwaves For Over 60 Years… Well-Loved RTÉ Broadcaster Passes Away

The death has taken place of legendary broadcaster Seán Óg Ó Ceallacháin at the age of 89, RTÉ reports.

Ó Ceallacháin retired in May 2011 after a career that spanned decades on the national broadcaster’s airwaves.

He first broadcast in 1935 as part of the Scoil Colmchille school choir and took over the Sunday night GAA results show from his father, Seán Ó Ceallacháin, in 1948.

His voice became synonymous with the Gaelic Games and remained that way for over 60 years.

Ó Ceallacháin achieved the longest career in radio sports broadcasting worldwide.

He represented Dublin hurlers in the 1940s and 1950s and played in the 1948 All-Ireland hurling final, scoring a goal in Dublin's loss to Waterford.

Tributes have begun to pour in for the well-loved man.

Seán Óg O Ceallacháin passed away this afternoon.

Noel Curran, Director-General, RTÉ, said the broadcaster became "an essential part of sporting Sundays".

"Seán Óg Ó Ceallacháin was a legend in Sports broadcasting," he said.

"On RTÉ Radio 1, he presented one of the longest-running sports results programmes in the world, having joined his father on air in 1948.

"When he signed off on his last Gaelic Sports Results programme in 2011, it was a momentous moment not only in broadcasting but in the sporting life of the nation.

"His passing will be acknowledged by the many thousands of listeners for whom Seán Óg's Sunday night broadcasts were an essential part of our sporting Sundays."

Many are saying that O Ceallacháin was the voice of rural Ireland.