Jimmy Magee

Jimmy Magee (born 31 January 1935) is a veteran sports broadcaster. Known as the "Memory Man", he has spent over half a century in sports broadcasting, and has presented radio and television coverage of the Olympic Games since 1968 and the FIFA World Cup since 1966. He is the longest-serving sports commentator.

Jimmy Magee was born in New York City in the United States in 1935 to Patrick (Paddy) Magee and his wife Rose (née Mackin). The family returned to Ireland shortly after his birth. Magee and his three siblings were subsequently raised in Cooley, County Louth. As a child Magee was influenced by the sports commentary of the legendary Gaelic games broadcaster Michael O'Hehir. He recalls commentating as a seven-year-old for his next-door neighbour on a variety of imaginary games that the young Magee was also playing in. He has also spoken of making up his own radio commentary in a field at a young age.

After being educated locally Magee secured a full-time clerical post with Dundalk, Newry and Greenore Railway. He and his wife Marie married on 11 October 1955 and had five children: Paul, a soccer player with Shamrock Rovers F.C. (winning the League Cup in 1977), who died of motor neuron disease, aged 51 years in May 2008; Linda (b. 1959); June (b. 1961); Patricia (b. 1962); and Mark (b. 1970).

1989 was an emotionally trying year for Magee as his mother and wife died within months of each other. Marie dying at the young age of 54.

While still working with Dundalk, Newry and Greenore Railway Magee began his broadcasting career. He started out as a reporter for the Radio Éireann programme Junior Sports Magazine. Other contributors on the programme were Jim Tunney and Peter Byrne, former football correspondent with The Irish Times. On leaving his Railway job, Magee presented a number of sponsored radio programmes before concentrating on sport. He was a producer, presenter and script writer for Radio Éireann's sponsored programmes in the 1950s and 1960s.

Jimmy joined Raidió Teilifís Éireann in 1956. In 1966 Magee covered his first World Cup for RTÉ Radio. He did likewise for the 1970 FIFA World Cup before transferring to television for the 1974 FIFA World Cup finals. In all he has provided commentary at eleven World Cups – his latest commentary coming at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

Magee has also been a staple of RTÉ's coverage of the Olympic Games. Beginning at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, he has attended the eleven subsequent Olympic games as a commentator with RTÉ. In 2012, he commentated on the boxing for RTÉ at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, including Katie Taylor's gold medal-winning fight. At the 2016 Summer Olympics, Magee provided commentary on the football.

From 1987 to 1998 Magee hosted Know Your Sport, a sports-themed quiz show, along with George Hamilton. Magee's broadcasting career also saw him provide commentary for over 200 international football games, 30 European Cup finals, multiple Tour de France cycle races, World Athletic Championships and boxing. He also narrated numerous videos on Sport in general such as The purple and Gold, Meath return to Glory, etc.

A freelancer Jimmy worked for Channel 4 in 1994 and signed for UTV in 1995 [1] on a three-year contract where a lifetime ambition of commentating on All Ireland Finals was achieved. He commentated on three finals in both hurling and football.

He launched his memoir, Memory Man, in 2012.

Some of Magee's one-liners in commentaries have become famous or infamous (what are affectionately known in the broadcasting industry as Colemanballs after the famed commentating clangers of BBC broadcaster David Coleman).

In 1972 Magee won a Jacob's Award for his radio sports commentaries. In 1989 he was the subject of a special tribute show on The Late Late Show.

At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, the International Olympic Committee presented him with a replica of its torch.

"the symbol of peace, the pigeon!" at the opening ceremony of the 1982 World Cup

"different class !, different class !" Maradona goal v England world cup 1986