Ger Canning

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name = Ger Canning


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birth_name = Ger Canning
birth_date = August 1 1952
birth_place = Cork, Ireland
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nationality = Irish flagicon|Ireland
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occupation = Sports commentator
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Ger Canning is an Irish Gaelic Athletic Association hurling and football commentator.

Born in Cork on August 1 1952.Ger Canning began his broadcasting career with Cork Local Radio in 1978. Two years later in 1980 he joined the national broadcaster, Radio Telefís Éireann, as a member of the station's sports department. As a fluent Irish-speaker his first All-Ireland final commentary was on RTÉ 2 in 1981, as the station then had a policy of using the two channels for commentaries in both English and Irish. After Michael O'Hehir's retirement due to ill-health in 1985, Canning became the main Gaelic Athletic Association commentator on RTÉ television. Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh took over O'Hehir's duties as a radio commentator.To date Canning has broadcast nearly 50 All-Ireland finals (including three in Irish). While Canning has remained the main television commentator for RTÉ many people believe that Marty Morrissey would be a better optionFact|date=September 2008, it is undoubted however that Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh would be the preeminent TV commentator if he switched his loyalties from radio, something he refuses to do as he made his name on radio. Canning is well known as a highly patronising, slightly biased and prone to errors misinterpreting the rules and reasons for frees or getting players names wrong. This was referenced by Paddy Power for the 2004 All Ireland final where they gave odds of 3-1 on Ger Canning to incorrectly identify the first goalscorer [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4161/is_20040912/ai_n12904915] . On account of this it is common for people to mute the TV and listen to Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh on the radio instead. The delay in digital TV reduced this occurrence. He commentates on English Premiership matches, Olympic Games, Pigeon Racing and World Cup matches for RTÉ. He also commentates on basketball, and often presents greyhound racing from Shelburne park. In 2004, Limerick rock duo Giveamanakick included a song entitled "Ger Canning" on their first album [http://www.mongrel.ie/issue17/dec05pp20.php] .

References

* [http://www.rte.ie/tv/gaamoments/gercanning.html RTÉ Sport]