Up for the Match
Encyclopedia
Up for the Match is an Irish
Gaelic games
-themed variety show
currently hosted by Des Cahill
and Gráinne Seoige
. The show is broadcast live in two editions each year on RTÉ One
on the eve of the respective All-Ireland hurling
and football
finals. Up for the Match features a mixture of music and chat with special guests and experts from the world of Gaelic games.
's previews of the respective All-Ireland finals consisted of short reports on the main news programmes. In 1973 a new show called Sports Stadium
, which itself was modeled on the BBC
show randstand] (BBC)|Grandstand], went on the air. A special segment called Gaelic Stadium lasted for thirty minutes and previewed the big games of the weekend.
In 1974 RTÉ aired a special programme simply called The Hurling Show. It was the first ever eve-of-final non-sporting production by RTÉ Sport
. Rather than just preview the teams and discuss their chances of success the live show was described as "an hour of entertainment, fun and nostalgia". Two weeks later Football Final Fanfare was broadcast in a similar vein. These were one-off specials as no eve-of-final shows were broadcast in 1975 and 1976.
From 1977 the chat show Trom agus Éadrom
broadcast two special editions of the show every September in tribute to the following day's All-Ireland finals. The bi-lingual show, presented by Liam Ó Murchú
, was broadcast live after the Nine O'Clock News
and lasted for up to two hours. It featured discussion with former greats and current players as well as music. This format lasted until 1982.
For one season in 1983 the eve-of-final show was broadcast as part of a programme called Sports Preview.
The centenary year of the Gaelic Athletic Association
in 1984 saw RTÉ broadcast a special programme live from the Premier Hall in Thurles
, County Tipperary
on the eve of the All-Ireland hurling final. Thurles, as the cradle town of the GAA, was chosen to host the centenary All-Ireland final. Fanfare for a Final was presented by Michael O'Hehir
and featured Mick Dunne
and Michael Lyster
. It continued with the usual format of live chat and music.
Between 1985 and 1987 the build-up show was styled as All-Ireland Final Preview. Once again it was broadcast after the main evening news on the Saturday before the finals and featured a host of presenters including Michael Lyster, Mick Dunne, Ger Canning
and Jim Carney.
The Final Prospects ran for three series between 1988 and 1990 and was presented solely by Michael Lyster.
In 1991 Liam Ó Murchú, who previously presented the special eve-of-final shows on Trom agus Éadrom, returned to present Up for the Final. Ostensibly the same format of chat and music continued under a different brand. Ó Murchú presented Up for the Final for six series until 1996.
For two years in 1997 and 1998 the pre-match build-up show was incorporated into Pat Kenny
's flagship Saturday night chat show Kenny Live!
.
The Kenny Live! format proved disjointed and Up for the Match returned in its own right in 1999 with Mary Kennedy
as presenter. The show has aired every September since then. Des Cahill
joined the show as co-presenter in 2005. Gráinne Seoige
replaced Kennedy as co-presenter in 2008.
at Donnybrook
, Dublin 4
. As RTÉ's biggest the studio holds 200 audience members.
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
Gaelic games
Gaelic games
Gaelic games are sports played in Ireland under the auspices of the Gaelic Athletic Association. The two main games are Gaelic football and hurling...
-themed variety show
Variety show
A variety show, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is an entertainment made up of a variety of acts, especially musical performances and sketch comedy, and normally introduced by a compère or host. Other types of acts include magic, animal and circus acts, acrobatics, juggling...
currently hosted by Des Cahill
Des Cahill
Desmond 'Des' Cahill is an Irish sports presenter and commentator with national broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann. He presents a daily radio programme called Drivetime Sport on RTÉ Radio 1, while on television he has presented The Sunday Game, The Road to Croker, Play It Again, Des, and Up for...
and Gráinne Seoige
Gráinne Seoige
Gráinne Seoige is an Irish television presenter, Gaeilgeoir, and "fashion icon",Gráinne Seoige is one of the few television presenters who has worked for all terrestrial channels in the Republic of Ireland at some point. She has worked as a news anchor on TG4, TV3 and Sky News Ireland...
. The show is broadcast live in two editions each year on RTÉ One
RTÉ One
RTÉ One is the flagship television channel of Raidió Teilifís Éireann , and it is the most popular and most watched television channel in Ireland. It was launched as Telefís Éireann on 31 December 1961, it was renamed RTÉ Television in 1966, and it was renamed as RTÉ One upon the launch of RTÉ...
on the eve of the respective All-Ireland hurling
Hurling
Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...
and football
Gaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
finals. Up for the Match features a mixture of music and chat with special guests and experts from the world of Gaelic games.
History
Throughout the 1960s and early 1970s RTÉRTE
RTÉ is the abbreviation for Raidió Teilifís Éireann, the public broadcasting service of the Republic of Ireland.RTE may also refer to:* Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, 25th Prime Minister of Turkey...
's previews of the respective All-Ireland finals consisted of short reports on the main news programmes. In 1973 a new show called Sports Stadium
Sports Stadium
Sports Stadium was an Irish television sport programme on Raidió Teilifís Éireann . Broadcast between 1973 and 1997, it was RTÉ's flagship sports programme and one of its longest-running shows....
, which itself was modeled on the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
show randstand] (BBC)|Grandstand], went on the air. A special segment called Gaelic Stadium lasted for thirty minutes and previewed the big games of the weekend.
In 1974 RTÉ aired a special programme simply called The Hurling Show. It was the first ever eve-of-final non-sporting production by RTÉ Sport
RTÉ Sport
RTÉ Sport is a cross platform, integrated business division of Irish broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann, responsible for the provision of sport coverage on RTÉ Radio, RTÉ Television, and RTÉ.ie....
. Rather than just preview the teams and discuss their chances of success the live show was described as "an hour of entertainment, fun and nostalgia". Two weeks later Football Final Fanfare was broadcast in a similar vein. These were one-off specials as no eve-of-final shows were broadcast in 1975 and 1976.
From 1977 the chat show Trom agus Éadrom
Trom agus Éadrom
Trom agus Éadrom was a bilingual television variety show which was broadcast in Ireland by Radio Telefís Éireann between 1975 and 1985. The show was presented by Liam Ó Murchú and, in spite of the bilingual aspect of the programme, was one of the more popular shows on Irish television. Liam became...
broadcast two special editions of the show every September in tribute to the following day's All-Ireland finals. The bi-lingual show, presented by Liam Ó Murchú
Liam Ó Murchú
Liam Ó Murchú is a former Irish television broadcaster, who worked with the national station Radio Telefís Éireann .Liam Ó Murchú was born in Blarney Street, Cork in 1929. He was educated in the nearby Christian Brothers school and won a scholarship to secondary school in the North Mon. He...
, was broadcast live after the Nine O'Clock News
RTÉ News: Nine O'Clock
RTÉ News: Nine O'Clock is the flagship evening news programme for Irish television channel RTÉ One. It is presented by Anne Doyle, and deputised by Eileen Dunne. It is the final comprehensive news programme of the day on RTÉ One...
and lasted for up to two hours. It featured discussion with former greats and current players as well as music. This format lasted until 1982.
For one season in 1983 the eve-of-final show was broadcast as part of a programme called Sports Preview.
The centenary year of the Gaelic Athletic Association
Gaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...
in 1984 saw RTÉ broadcast a special programme live from the Premier Hall in Thurles
Thurles
Thurles is a town situated in North Tipperary, Ireland. It is a civil parish in the historical barony of Eliogarty and is also an ecclesiastical parish in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly...
, County Tipperary
County Tipperary
County Tipperary is a county of Ireland. It is located in the province of Munster and is named after the town of Tipperary. The area of the county does not have a single local authority; local government is split between two authorities. In North Tipperary, part of the Mid-West Region, local...
on the eve of the All-Ireland hurling final. Thurles, as the cradle town of the GAA, was chosen to host the centenary All-Ireland final. Fanfare for a Final was presented by Michael O'Hehir
Michael O'Hehir
Michael James Hehir was an Irish hurling, football and horse racing commentator and journalist. Between 1938 and 1985 his enthusiasm and a memorable turn of phrase endeared him to many...
and featured Mick Dunne
Mick Dunne
Michael ‘Mick’ Dunne was an Irish sports journalist who pioneered television coverage of Gaelic Games.-Birth and childhood:He was born 27 May 1929 in Clonaslee, County Laois, one of two sons of Francis Dunne, insurance agent, and Agnes Dunne , schoolteacher...
and Michael Lyster
Michael Lyster
Michael Lyster is a sports broadcaster with Raidió Teilifís Éireann . He has presented The Sunday Game on television since 1984 and is a Jacob's Award winner.-Career:...
. It continued with the usual format of live chat and music.
Between 1985 and 1987 the build-up show was styled as All-Ireland Final Preview. Once again it was broadcast after the main evening news on the Saturday before the finals and featured a host of presenters including Michael Lyster, Mick Dunne, Ger Canning
Ger Canning
Ger Canning is an Irish GAA hurling and football commentator with Raidió Teilifís Éireann .-Career:Born in Cork on August 1, 1951. Ger Canning was a secondary school teacher at South Presentation school in Cork City when he began his broadcasting career with Cork Local Radio in 1978.Two years later...
and Jim Carney.
The Final Prospects ran for three series between 1988 and 1990 and was presented solely by Michael Lyster.
In 1991 Liam Ó Murchú, who previously presented the special eve-of-final shows on Trom agus Éadrom, returned to present Up for the Final. Ostensibly the same format of chat and music continued under a different brand. Ó Murchú presented Up for the Final for six series until 1996.
For two years in 1997 and 1998 the pre-match build-up show was incorporated into Pat Kenny
Pat Kenny
Patrick "Pat" Kenny is an Irish broadcaster and former disc jockey and continuity announcer. He is employed by Raidió Teilifís Éireann and is their highest paid presenter. He presents Today with Pat Kenny on RTÉ Radio 1 each weekday morning between 10:00 and midday...
's flagship Saturday night chat show Kenny Live!
Kenny Live
Kenny Live is an Irish weekly chat show on RTÉ that was hosted by Pat Kenny. The show debuted in 1988 and aired every Saturday night, except during the summer months, directly after the main evening news...
.
The Kenny Live! format proved disjointed and Up for the Match returned in its own right in 1999 with Mary Kennedy
Mary Kennedy
Mary Kennedy is an Irish writer, television personality and former newscaster. She presented Eurovision Song Contest 1995 from the Point Theatre in Dublin. She has also presented her own Saturday night chat show called Kennedy, a precursor to Saturday Night with Miriam. Kennedy was co-presenter of...
as presenter. The show has aired every September since then. Des Cahill
Des Cahill
Desmond 'Des' Cahill is an Irish sports presenter and commentator with national broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann. He presents a daily radio programme called Drivetime Sport on RTÉ Radio 1, while on television he has presented The Sunday Game, The Road to Croker, Play It Again, Des, and Up for...
joined the show as co-presenter in 2005. Gráinne Seoige
Gráinne Seoige
Gráinne Seoige is an Irish television presenter, Gaeilgeoir, and "fashion icon",Gráinne Seoige is one of the few television presenters who has worked for all terrestrial channels in the Republic of Ireland at some point. She has worked as a news anchor on TG4, TV3 and Sky News Ireland...
replaced Kennedy as co-presenter in 2008.
Production
Up for the Match is currently broadcast live from Studio 4 in the RTÉ Television CentreRTÉ Television Centre
RTÉ Television Centre is a television studio complex which is owned by Radio Telefís Éireann and has been home to the national broadcaster of Ireland since 1961. It is situated at Montrose, Donnybrook, Dublin 4...
at Donnybrook
Donnybrook, Dublin
Donnybrook is a district of Dublin, Ireland. It is situated on the southside of the city, in the Dublin 4 postal district, and is home to the Irish state broadcaster RTÉ. It was once part of the Pembroke Township...
, Dublin 4
Dublin 4
Dublin 4 is a postal district of Dublin, Ireland including the suburbs of Sandymount, Ballsbridge, Donnybrook, Ringsend and Irishtown on the South side of Dublin....
. As RTÉ's biggest the studio holds 200 audience members.