The day Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh bought breakfast for a little Roscommon girl at Temple Street Children’s Hospital

Many people have shared personal stories about the late Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh and one Roscommon woman has shared a special memory about the wonderful encounter her daughter Rebecca had with the legendary broadcaster.

Recounting the story on X (Twitter), Rebecca’s mother Bernie Osgood Daly from Ballinlough recalled how she and Rebecca had driven up to up to Temple Street Children’s Hospital in Dublin from Roscommon for her daughter’s post transplant check up.

“As I went to put money in the meter a friendly face was walking past. Hello I said. He said great morning. I asked are you Michéal O’Muircheartaigh. He said I am indeed.

“Who are you and where are you from. I said my name and I’m from the Michael Glaveys GAA club. With that he asked why we were up in Dublin so early and the chats started,” she said.

When Bernie got to the hospital and walked down the canteen, Mícheál and her daughter Rebecca were surrounded by hospital staff and parents.

“Mícheál had a nice word for all of them, then announced he had to get Rebecca’s breakfast or she would be late for bloods. So Rebecca delighted with herself got a nice big sausage roll (she loved them) and I got tea and toast.

“There we were proud as punch sitting with our dear friend (of 30 minutes). It felt like we knew him a lifetime in a room where I often sat and felt so lonely and sad, waiting for results, operations, decisions. We chatted away about all sorts. Time flew by and we had to make tracks.

“Mícheál asked me to write down our address as I had offered a cup of tea or maybe something to eat or place to rest if he was passing by any time. He was always on the go matches, meetings, seminars, visiting clubs and schools all over Ireland.

“We kept in touch and that was lovely. He was coming to Michael Glaveys to join in a tribute evening commemorating the great Dermot Earley organised by our neighbour Edel Coffey. I said to Mícheál you’ll have to call for the tea. He said you know I will. So that was the evening Mícheál and Helena had dinner in our house after driving all the way from Dingle.

“Mum, Dad and my sister popped in and Dad had great chats about the greyhounds and the horses. Conor (Bernie’s son) was only small at this stage. Mícheál asked Lauren to get Conor a ball from outside. He told Conor to play around the kitchen as if he was on the pitch and he started the commentary on our little Conor playing as if he was in the biggest match of his life. Such an amazing memory.”