Nemeton Spotlight Feature: Michael Rice

This week in our Spotlight Series we hear from an 8 time All-Ireland winner with Kilkenny.. our GAA BEO analyst and co-commentator, Michael Rice.

Thosaigh mé ag obair le Nemeton ar GAA BEO i rith an tSamhraidh 2016. Bhí mo chéad chluiche ar siúl i bPáirc Uí Nualláin. Ar ndóigh, bhí mé neirbhíseach ach fuair mé cabhair iontach ó gach daoine a bhí ag obair ar an lá.

I started working with Nemeton on GAA BEO during the summer of 2016. My first match was in Nowlan Park. Of course I was nervous but everyone I was working with on the day really helped me.

De ghnáth, caithfidh mé a bheith ag an bpáirc dhá uair a chloig go leith roimh an cluiche. Ní bhíonn duine ná deora ansin ach an críú go léir ón Nemeton. Bíonn cruinniú leis an bhfoireann go léir ansin. Ní leannann sé ach deich nóiméad agus tuigeann gach duine a ról agus cad a bheidh ar siúl ar an lá.

Bíonn bia blasta ar fáil ansin. Is deis iontach é seo chun labhairt leis na daoine eile a bhíonn ag obair ar an lá. Déanaimid cleachtadh beag leathuair a chloig roimh a théimid ar aer. Tugann sé cabhair dúinn chun socrú síos agus chun ár gcuid botún féin a dhéanamh go luath!! Bímid ar aer uair a chloig nó leathuair a chloig roimh an gcluiche, braitheann sé ar an lá agus cé mhéad cluiche a bhíonn ar siúl. Déanaimid ár gcuid anailís le Míchéal Ó Domhnaill. Cuireann sé iontas orm arís is arís eile ag an méid eolais atá ag an bhfear seo! Chomh maith leis na tráchtairí, déanann siad ár jab an easca ar fad. Bainim an-taitneamh as an chomhtráctaireacht agus an anailís. Nuair a chríochnaíonn an cluiche bíonn anailís ar siúl arís ina dhiaidh an cluiche.

Usually I have to be at the pitch 2 and a half hours before the match when there’s no one there except the crew. The team has a production meeting that lasts about 10 minutes so everyone knows what’s happening and what their role is on the day. Then we get food and that’s a good opportunity to chat to the crew. About half an hour before we go on air we do a rehearsal which gives us a chance to settle into it and get our mistakes out of the way! We come on air an hour or half an hour before the match.. it depends on the day and how many games are taking place. We do our anailís with Micheál Ó Domhnaill, and it always astonishes me how much knowledge that man has. And the commentators make our job very easy altogether. I really enjoy co-commentary and analysis, which we do again post-match.

Is aoibhinn liom an post seo. Tugann sé deis iontach dom dul chuig cluichí iontacha agus chun na himreoirí is fearr sa tír a fheiceáil sna cluichí idir-chontaetha agus lena gclubanna difriúla. Cé nach bhfuil mé ag imirt le Chill Chainnigh a thuilleadh, tugann an post seo seans dom chun a bheith ann ar na laethanta móra i bPáirc an Chrócaigh, Páirc Uí Nualláin no Staid Semple.

I love this job. It gives me an opportunity to go to great games and to see the best players in the country play intercounty games and different club games. Even though I’m not playing with Kilkenny anymore, this job gives me a chance to attend the big days in Croke Park, Nowlan Park and Semple Stadium.

Nuair a smaoiním siar thar na blianta, bhí an t-ádh liom go raibh mé ag obair ar cluichí iontacha. Aon lá go bhfuilim i bPáirc an Chrócaigh don Chluiche Ceannais na gClub nó mhíonúir, is lá mór é sin.

When I think back on the years I was so lucky to work on big games. Any day I’m in Croke Park for a club final or a minor final is a huge day.

Tá na daoine go léir ag obair le Nemeton an-proifisiúnta. Tá brú ar gach duine chun taispéantais den chéad scoth a thabhairt ach ní mhothaítear go bhfuil brú milllteanach ann ar aon lá. Déanann gach duine a bpost agus oibríonn an fhoireann go léir le chéile chun seó iontach a chraoladh. Tuigim go bhfuil sár-obair ar siúl sa chúlra gach lá agus sin an fáth go n-oibríonn sé gan stró ar an lá.

The people working in Nemeton are so professional. Everyone is under pressure to perform but it doesn’t feel like that on the day. Everyone does their job and the whole team works together to broadcast the show. I see that the excellent work that goes on behind the scenes every day is everything runs so smoothly on the day.