Conor McNamara
{{short description|Irish sports commentator}}
{{for|the television character|Nip/Tuck}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}}
{{Infobox person
|name = Conor McNamara
|image =
|alt =
|caption =
|birth_name =
|birth_date =
|birth_place = Limerick, Ireland
|nationality = Irish
|education = BA (hons) TV & Radio, Post-graduate diploma in Business Studies
|alma_mater = University of Salford
University College Dublin (UCD)
|other_names =
|known_for =
|occupation = Sports commentator
}}
Conor McNamara is an Irish sports commentator. He is the Lead Commentator for Premier League Productions{{Cite web|url=https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/epl-commentator-assignments-on-nbc-sports-gameweek-38-2-20210521-CMS-334619.html|title=EPL commentator assignments on NBC Sports, gameweek 38|date=19 July 2021|website=World Soccer Talk}} and also works for BBC Sport on Radio 5 Live and Match of the Day, Amazon Prime Video and Sky Sports.{{cite web|url=https://www.skygroup.sky/article/sky-sports-the-lions-to-be-the-home-of-the-british-and-irish-lions-tour-of-south-africa |title=Sky Sports The Lions to be the home of the British and Irish Lions Tour of South Africa |publisher=Sky Group |date=28 June 2021}} Away from sport, he voices the character of 'Squawk The Parrot' on CBeebies show Swashbuckle.{{cite podcast |author-link=Jarlath Regan |author=Jarlath Regan |edition=79 |work=An Irishman Abroad |title=Conor McNamara |publisher=SoundCloud |date=22 March 2015 |url=https://soundcloud.com/an-irishman-abroad/conor-mcnamara-episode-79 |access-date=25 March 2015}}
Early life
McNamara was born in Limerick, where he attended the Jesuit Crescent College. McNamara studied at the University of Salford, where he earned a Degree in Television and Radio. He also attended the Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School at University College Dublin where he received a Post Graduate Diploma in Business Studies.
Career
While still at university, McNamara did his first football commentary for Irish national radio station Today FM - the 1997 FA Cup Final.
He joined the Irish TV station TV3 in Dublin at its launch in 1998 as a sports presenter and commentator. His first commentary for national television was the Republic of Ireland versus Yugoslavia in 1998. He became TV3's UEFA Champions League commentator in 1999, before joining the BBC in 2002.
=Football =
McNamara's first national radio commentary for BBC Radio 5 Live was Bolton v Tottenham in April 2002. His first Match of the Day commentary for BBC television was Everton versus Aston Villa in October 2004.
McNamara regularly commentates on the Premier League, the FA Cup, the UEFA Champions League and internationals. He has worked at every FIFA World Cup since 1998 and every UEFA European Championship since 2004.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/52530306|title=McNamara's memorable MOTD moments|work=BBC Sport}}
Each year from 2014 to 2023, McNamara was nominated as Football Supporters' Federation Commentator of the Year.{{cite web|url=http://www.fsf.org.uk/latest-news/view/fsf-awards-2014-commentator-of-the-year|title=FSF Awards 2014: Commentator of the Year - Football Supporters' Federation|website=www.fsf.org.uk|date=11 November 2014}}{{cite web|url=http://www.fsf.org.uk/latest-news/view/The-FSF-Awards-2015-in-association-with-William-Hill|title=The FSF Awards 2015 in association with William Hill - Football Supporters' Federation|website=www.fsf.org.uk|date=5 November 2015}}{{cite web|url=https://thefsa.org.uk/news/fsa-awards-2019-shortlists-announced/|title=Vote now: FSA Awards 2019 shortlists announced|date=7 November 2019}}
=Rugby union=
McNamara commentates on rugby union for BBC television, Amazon Prime Video and Sky Sports. He regularly covers Ireland's games for BBC radio. McNamara commentated on all 13 games TV3 Ireland covered for the 2007 Rugby World cup alongside BBC colleague Philip Matthews.{{cite web|title=McNamara TV3 RWC 2007|url=http://www.limerickleader.ie/what-s-on/features/leader-interview-with-conor-macnamara-1-2181112|website=limerickleader.ie|publisher=Limerick Leader|access-date=22 March 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402163322/http://www.limerickleader.ie/what-s-on/features/leader-interview-with-conor-macnamara-1-2181112|archive-date=2 April 2015}} McNamara's first live TV commentary game for the BBC was Scotland versus Italy in the Six Nations Championship in 2011 and he has commentated on at least one match at every tournament since. McNamara returned to TV3 for the 2015 Rugby World Cup as a presenter and commentator as TV3 had exclusive rights to the tournament and covered all games on TV3 and 3e alongside Keith Wood, Peter Stringer and Stuart Barnes.{{cite web|title=TV3 announce RWC 2015 Lineup|url=http://www.tv3.ie/rwc2015_article/12/TV3-confirms-exclusive-Rugby-World-Cup-coverage|website=tv3.ie|publisher=TV3 Ireland|access-date=22 March 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150401071152/http://www.tv3.ie/rwc2015_article/12/TV3-confirms-exclusive-Rugby-World-Cup-coverage|archive-date=1 April 2015}}
McNamara provided world feed commentary for World Rugby from Japan at the 2019 Rugby World Cup and from France at the 2023 Rugby World Cup.{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/ConorMcNamaraIE/status/1179669014416482304}}
McNamara has been part of the Amazon Prime Video commentary team for the Autumn Nations Cup since 2020.{{cite web|url=https://www.rugbyworld.com/autumn-nations-cup/who-are-amazon-primes-rugby-pundits-115825|title=Who are Amazon Prime's rugby pundits?|date=3 November 2020}}
=Golf =
McNamara is part of the BBC's golf commentary team and has worked at every The Open Championship since 2006. He has also regularly worked at The Ryder Cup,{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/5live/entries/576c5a07-fbf7-32e2-a624-a5d75ce3bc73|title=5 live at the Ryder Cup|date=24 September 2012|website=Behind the mic: The 5 live blog}} The PGA Championship and The Solheim Cup.
Jamie Johnson
McNamara is known to some as the ‘Jamie Johnson’ commentator from CBBC TV show Jamie Johnson. He commented on all the action from Phoenix FC.
=''Swashbuckle''=
McNamara is known to a younger, pre-school audience, as the voice of "Squawk"{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/cbeebiesgrownups/entries/25b6fab5-2e0b-3f50-86ae-3537f20e51c6|title=Conor McNamara: Swashbuckle's Squawk goes to the World Cup in Brazil|date=10 June 2014|website=CBeebies Grown-ups}} the parrot on the British Academy of Film and Television Arts winning Cbeebies show Swashbuckle.{{cite web|url=http://awards.bafta.org/award/2015/childrens/childrens-entertainment|title=2015 Children's Entertainment - BAFTA Awards|website=awards.bafta.org}}
=Other BBC appearances=
McNamara appears on Phil Williams' Team Talk on Wednesday nights on BBC Radio Five Live with fellow BBC Sport broadcaster Dan Walker.{{cite web| url = https://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/ttt| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120330084935/http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/ttt| archive-date = 2012-03-30| title = BBC - Podcasts - Tony's Team Talk}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/biographies/biogs/radiofivelive/conor_mcnamara.shtml Conor McNamara] at the BBC
{{DEFAULTSORT:McNamara, Conor}}
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:Alumni of University College Dublin
Category:Alumni of the University of Salford
Category:Irish association football commentators
Category:Irish male voice actors
Category:Irish radio presenters
Category:Sportspeople from Limerick (city)
Category:Irish rugby union commentators
Category:People educated at Crescent College