Jimmy Magee
| Jimmy Magee | |
|---|---|
| Born |
James Magee 31 January 1935 New York City, United States |
| Residence | Dublin, Ireland |
| Occupation | Sports broadcaster |
| Employer |
Raidió Teilifís Éireann, UTV (1995), Channel 4 (1994) |
| Known for | Being the "Memory Man" |
| Home town | Cooley, County Louth |
| Title | Memory Man |
| Partner(s) | Marie (died in 1989) |
| Children | Paul, Linda, Mark, June, Patricia |
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.
...
Wikipedia