Tony O’Donoghue was an Irish sports commentator and Group Soccer Correspondent for RTÉ, Ireland’s national radio and television broadcaster.
Born in Irish Free State, O’Donoghue studied history and economics at University College Cork. While at the University he edited The Raven.
O’Donoghue’s career with RTE spanned over 40 years and included every Olympic Games from Munich 1972 to London 2012. Among his many commentating highlights was calling Eamonn Coghlan’s historic World Championship win over the 5,000 metres in Helsinki in 1983.
O’Donoghue garnered worldwide attention with his reports on the events in Saipan that saw Ireland captain Roy Keane leave the Republic of Ireland camp before the FIFA World Cup in Japan and Korea.
Prior to becoming the RTE’s first ever Group Soccer Correspondent, he served as a sports news correspondent and sports editor for RTÉ Television News. He also worked as a commentator and presenter of RTÉ’s main radio sports shows, Saturday Two to Five and Sunday Sport.
O’Donoghue also produced the first ever Irish all-time track and field list in 1962.
In 2005, he released a comprehensive book entitled ‘Irish Championship Athletics 1873-1914’.
O’Donoghue contributed to the music magazine Hot Press during the 1980s, and acted as manager of Cypress Mine, a rock group from his native Cork.
O’Donoghue was diagnosed with cancer in 2011 after RTE make-up artist Siobhán Power noticed a lump on his neck. He subsequently underwent surgery, followed by radiotherapy and chemotherapy.
O’Donoghue was married to Morning Ireland presenter, Mary Wilson from 1994 to 2005 and they had a daughter, Aoife. In 2013 he married Sarah Symmons and they remained married until his death. They had a son named Tim.
Tony O’Donoghue died on February 27, 2023, at age 86 in Ireland.