Dessie Scahill has been retired

agree MJK...a sad day that des hasn't been allowed to go out on his own terms

it won't be the same without him getting muddled up in a close finish and getting out of breath and just giving up as they go past the line

Irish Examiner

Saturday, May 01, 2010

By Pat Keane

LAST Saturday morning, I got a phone call from well-known racing photographer, Pat Healy, asking if I’d read page 24 of the Racing Post.

I’m sure, I actually had read the Post, but somehow managed to miss the paragraphs which had moved Healy to a state of apoplexy.

“I am disgusted”, said Healy, as he indicated I go and take another look at an article by Lee Mottershead.

The first half a dozen paragraphs or so were, well, boring and, for that reason, I had not originally bothered with the rest of it.

But soon came to the part which had irked Healy. It had to do with legendary course commentator, Des Scahill.

This is what Mottershead had to say: “Both the Bishopscourt Cup and best-dressed lady competition are fine Punchestown Festival traditions. So too is the sound of Des Scahill as racecourse commentator, but some traditions have to come to an end and this is perhaps one.

“For many years Scahill has been the excellent voice of Irish racetracks, but compared to British big-race counterparts, like Richard Hoiles, Simon Holt and Ian Bartlett, he is now lacking.

“All too often the Manchester United and golf-loving Scahill sounds bored and disinterested. Moreover, in Richard Pugh and Jerry Hannon, Ireland has two superior and more enthusiastic commentators, but both are denied the chance they deserve by Horse Racing Ireland.”

The Post, of course, had to subsequently issue a correction, because the commentators in Ireland have nothing to do with HRI and are the responsibility of the Association of Irish Racecourses. It was a poorly tasted piece of writing by Mottershead, but that notwithstanding, you have to wonder if darker forces are at work here?

Are we to believe that Mottershead suddenly rolled out of the bed on Friday morning and decided that having a go at Scahill should be on his agenda that day?

Scahill is an institution in this country: who will ever forget his commentary on Dawn Run’s Cheltenham Gold Cup success of 1986, and how Mottershead can conclude that he “sounds bored and disinterested” defies logic.

I mean, how can you measure something like that?

I watched every race run at the five-day Punchestown Festival this week and listened to all of Scahill’s commentaries.

Essentially, they were flawless and if he was bored or disinterested then did a bloody good job of covering it up.

*who DON'T assume

Shame,i will miss the guy as I liked his style.

I.R punters up and down both islands are drafting letters demanding he reverse the decision immediately!

If YOU were advertising ANY job and he applied you would tell him don't bother to turn up for the interview. Correct ?

Dessie probably past his best but certainly still as good as the likes of Hoile, Holt & Bartlett; presumably the 3 names mentioned are in the same clique as Mottershead who in my opinion is an average journalist if we are throwing criticism around

Gary O'Brien is easily the best Irish commentator I have heard, and is streets ahead of Hannon, O'Hehir & Pugh. Scahill simply does not match up with Hoiles, Holt or Bartlett, in fact with most of the British commentators (Cattermole excluded). My main dislike of him is how he disregards injured horses compared to their jockeys - he sounds more like he's at a meat market.  Still, as long as Mike Vince isn't in the frame then it can't be all bad!