Fred cogley rip.

Fred was the main reason Rugby became so popular in Ireland,full of passion for the game, which he translated into his commentary.Old black and white days of television and Fred giving the results,memories flooding back now Old.

How could anyone say that Fred Cogley was the main reason that rugby became so popular in Ireland ?
He was a commentator for gods sake.

I have a funny taste in commentators I have been told.

Never cared for O'Hehir, not from my era, but I'd find him too manic & I don't like when GAA comms go all parish pump. I've an issue with Marty Morrisey for this too as otherwise I find Marty good. The guy who does all of the Dublin football matches Darragh Moloney, apart from his overuse of the phrase 'gorgeous point', I find him good.

Ger canning has a great voice but hasn't an iota about what's going on "Great score from Joe Deane", Duignan "He was on the 14 there. The younger O'Hehirs in contrast to their father are completely lifeless to the point of sounding disinterested. think their own son and nephew is working in RTE as well so I doubly dislike them for yet another bit of nepotism, (you have to be related to someone to work in RTE.)

I find Dessie excellent still, does a tough job with Irish firld sizes and just calls the race compared to someone like Hoiles who commentates to a narrative. The rest of the English commentators are obsessed with puns of trying to sound clever, "Wings of Eagles swoops to conquer", tiresome I find it now. Jerry Hannon is very good I find, in the mould of Dessie which is against the grain now. Pugh is a shill for the pointing crowd & thankfully his reach doesn't seem to extend much beyond Limerick and Downpatrick.

A post of rare quality delivered with grace and beauty, and littered with some gorgeous points.

faaaaaaaaaaaack, not as bad as my Kilkenny/Wexford prediction post, though!

I meant Holt instead of Hoiles as well.

Jimeen you seem too be of the opinion that Rugby was always popular,strange as it may seem, back in the day it was way down the pecking order. it was only the 6 nations that were shown live,few if any other matches were on view.Fred was the voice of Rugby back then,he tried his best to get as many games as possible into the public domain.Few people had any real interest in the game back then, unless you went to College it didn't have any real impact. No Inter pros to be shown,no European cups etc,in fact apart from the 6 Nations there was little Rugby to be shown,Fred kept the game alive for the few who followed it,his enthusiasm was infectious.

Any chance we can keep this as a respectful "RiP" thread ? rather than turning in to another childish debate

RIP Fred - the rugby voice of our younger days

I will always remember Fred as he was doing the commentary for RTE when I made my full debut for Derry City in the LOI

I never knew he did soccer kriskin,

I wouldnt go as far as workrider but to me he was the voice of rugby in a time when i wouldnt have had as much interest in it.

But maybe as he said he was responsible for my eventual interest in it.

Im not sure if its nostalgia or maybe as your younger things sink in deeper or maybe the old guys just commentated without "experts" beside them giving their tuppence worth but i found most were so much better.

I honestly couldnt name the main GAA or rugby commentator ,

Dessie puts me asleep in racing unless ive copped he,s calling the wrong one and the english ones are too clever for their own good with their practiced puns.
Heard one all smug yesterday calling home Dory 100 yards out with the words " and you will find Dory in the winners enclosure "

Hoiles is probably the best they have but having said that the above could have been him as they all mostly sound alike now.

I know George Hamilton does the soccer but i just dont like him , and havent a clue who does the English PL.

Said this on here before, but for me Ian Darke who is now the chief soccer commentator at BT is the best commentator I've come accross. very descriptive, conversational style without the sh!tty puns. Best boxing commentator around by a gillion miles as well.

If any of you have sky sports, they play the hatton/mayweather fight back pretty frequently and his commentary there was punch perfect; cognisant of the scale of the occasion & who his audience was rooting for, but also accurate and not laden down by emotionalism.

The guy who had the best voice in Irish broadcasting was probably Colm Murray. As an aside, I wonder if Robert Hall had not been so well got, could Murray, with his general popularity & infectious enthusiasm have brought racing to a broader audience.

Never was a Jimmy Magee fan, although I was very sorry to read about his son and I'm certain he is a lovely man. I found him to be over-familiar and sycophantic in his commentaries. I felt the way he covered the Bernard Dunne fights, either he lacked the knowledge to present the fights in their true context, or he was being disingenuous. The Katie Taylor coverage at the moment on RTE News, really lacks integrity.

Trying to think of any young racing commentators coming through that i have been impressed with, but there aren't any really. Terry Spargo & prime Jim McGrath still the best racing comms I've heard. Gary O'Brien and Kevin Blake will hopefully be doing punditry for a good while to come, consistently really good and you'd nearly always hear something you didn't know if you sat down for a good sunday card and they were both on.

Have streamed a few wednesday night RUK cards, listening to the some of the ****s on the main forum, you'd think the subscribers were part of some privileged, esoteric circle; most of the pundits there are completely overrated & need strong handling editorially, lots of information most of it not relevant to the question of solving the race. A bit like this post and the OP!

punditry & presenting.

Some of the greyhound commentators on Racing Post TV & Sky are actually pretty good come to think of it, I wouldn't mind seeing a few of them give horses a go.

neill d
15 Jun 17 12:35
Joined: 19 Aug 09

I have a funny taste in commentators I have been told.

I find Dessie excellent.........

I think your taste is pretty good

Feck off back to the stoke thread