Michael O'Hehir, The GAA and Radio Brazzaville

 

“Bail ó Dhia oraibh a cháirde Gael. Hello everybody and welcome to Croke Park. And a special welcome to all those joining us today on Radio Brazzaville.” The words of Michael O’Hehir.

In 1953 these words of the great Michael O’Hehir welcomed listeners to the All-Ireland Hurling Final between Cork and Galway. But how did Radio Brazzaville get to rebroadcast the final? The 1950’s represented the ‘heyday’ of Irish missionary work across Africa with an estimated eight thousand Irish across the continent. Beginning life as The Radio Club in 1936, in 1940, Brazzaville, the capital of the Belgian controlled Congo, became the capital of the Free French government in exile under Charles De Gaulle. In 1941, the station became the voice of the Free French and renamed Radio Brazzaville, broadcasting on short wave.

 

After much lobbying by Catholic missionaries, Radio Eireann struck a deal with Radiodiffusion et Television Francais(RTF) to take the transmission to Paris and then sent by land telephone line to Brazzaville who would rebroadcast the final via short wave. It was a major departure for Radio Eireann and a coup for the GAA to have their sport reach a global audience. These broadcasts were not just being heard abroad but by listeners in Ireland often getting better reception from Radio Brazzaville than Radio Eireann. The Derry Journal reported,

‘Those radio enthusiasts who listened on the short wave to the transmission here in Derry had the thrill of hearing the Irish programme all the way from Radio Brazzaville.’

The Minister for Posts and Telegraphs told the Dail that the broadcast cost £41 and that related to the cost of getting the transmissions to Paris, the onward journey for the commentary was provided free by RTF. The broadcast was deemed a success and so a repeat was inevitable in 1954, but this unique experiment was to find choppy waters.

 

In March 1954 a decision was made to rebroadcast the Railway Cup finals via Radio Brazzaville. With O’Hehir behind the microphone, the national station decided to broadcast the hurling final but rather than broadcasting the subsequent football final, they would broadcast a soccer game between Ireland and their Scottish counterparts with commentary provided by Phillip Greene, both commentaries relayed by Brazzaville. The GAA however were not amused.

‘The G.A.A. learns with indignation of the plan arranged by Radio Eireann to relay to the world through' Radio Brazzaville on St. Patrick's Day, between 3.15 p.m. and 5.30 p.m., a composite broadcast consisting of national game of hurling and the non-Irish game of soccer. The Association feels deeply insulted at being featured without its knowledge or consent in this hotch-potch of hurling-cum-soccer relayed to the world. The Association objects vehemently to the interlarding of an alien football game with the national game of hurling on Ireland' s National Festival.’

RTE however replied,

"With regard to the overseas broadcast, there seems to be some misunderstanding about this. Radio Eireann has no overseas service, and on these occasions, we depend on the goodwill of the French radio authorities in Paris and Brazzaville. By their generous co-operation we have recently been able to bring occasional broadcasts to Irish exiles, primarily the Irish missionaries in Africa, who listen habitually to Radio Brazzaville. On St. Patrick’s Day, Radio Brazzaville is giving up nearly two hours of its own programme time for our broadcast with the commentary in Irish, which few of their listeners would understand.”

RTE came up with an alternative plan, spilt transmissions, while the Brazzaville element would remain the same, the Gaelic commentaries would be covered by the Athlone transmitter, the Dublin and Cork transmitters would relay the hurling followed by the soccer. In the end the split transmission remained but the relay to the world was abandoned.

 

Without the distraction of a soccer match, the rebroadcast of the finals in September 1954 resumed. Radio Eireann was aware that the Irish diaspora across the Atlantic, while they could at times hear Brazzaville, reception was not perfect. The G.A.A. Secretary, Padraig O'Caoimh, disclosed that the games would be relayed by Brazzaville and also WNYC in New York. Listeners to both stations also heard a specially written pageant "The Four Green Fields" performed at half time.

 

In 1956, Brazzaville became part of GAA broadcasting folklore. Cork’s Christy Ring was a superstar and when he took to the field against Wexford, he was hoping to win an unprecedented ninth All- Ireland. Around the world, listeners heard O’Hehir say,

“Paddy Philpott, standing all alone, 50 yards from his own goal, gets the ball and sends it up into the centre of the field. The clash of the ash as it blocks down there by Terry Kelly. Terry Kelly up there to Christy Ring. Ring in front of the goal is going through. He steadies himself; he takes a shot. It's blocked by Art Foley, and it's cleared out by Art Foley. Oh, a great clearance there by Art Foley”

 

Unusually that hurling took place after the football as it had been postponed for three weeks due to a polio outbreak, but it turned out to be memorable and exciting. The champions started in style, held the advantage for most of the first half. Listeners heard two memorable incidents. One was supplied by Mick Morrissey's goal-line clearance and the other by Bobby Rackard who tapped the ball off Ring's hurl when a goal seemed certain.

 

The match is however remembered for the heroic performance of Wexford's goalkeeper Art Foley, who made that crucial save from Ring in the dying moments. Wexford won, securing their first All-Ireland title since 1910 and denying Ring that record ninth medal.

‘The whole of Croke Park has gone stark starring wild’. announced O’Hehir to his listening public.

So popular were the overseas broadcasts that thousands of cards were addressed to O’Hehir via Croke Park to give shout outs to families scattered across the globe. With the arrival of satellite communications and of course television, the Brazzaville experiment ended.